With the departure of Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, and Genesis Smith, who have all played their final game in red and blue, the Wildcats are in need of depth and experience in the secondary. Danny Gonzales and the defensive staff got a big piece of that rebuild puzzle with a commitment from a Big 10 transfer. On Saturday, Arizona signed Nebraska defensive back transfer Malcom Hartzog Jr.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Hartzog Jr. was incredibly productive during his time in Lincoln. The Silver Creek, Mississippi native appeared in 38 games for the Huskers, recording 108 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 13 pass breakups, and eight interceptions. He only appeared in two games in 2025 after his senior season was cut short due to injury. But despite only appearing in two games, he did record a tackle, pass breakup, and interception in the season opener against Big 12 foe Cincinnati.
Hartzog Jr. is a three time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2023, 2024, 2025), and additionally was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2024. He will have one season of eligibility remaining in Tucson.
Consequently, with his ball-hawking skills, experience, and sure tackling, Hartzog Jr. figures to replace Treydan Stukes in the backfield for Danny Gonzales next season.
With the commitment from Malcom Hartzog Jr., Arizona has now added four defensive players from the portal, and nine in total. He joins Georgetown edge Cooper Blomstrom, Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss, and Memphis linebacker Everett Roussaw Jr.
A full list of Arizona’s transfer portal activity is available here on our Transfer Portal Tracker.
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