A day after Arizona landed its first commit from the transfer portal this offseason in former New Mexico wide receiver Luke Wysong, the Wildcats have added their first commit on the defensive side of the ball. On Saturday, Northwestern State edge transfer Chancellor Owens committed to Arizona.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Owens spent the last two seasons at Northwestern State, an FCS program located in Natchitoches, Louisiana, appearing in 18 games in two seasons for the Demons. As a freshman, he appeared in six games, recording 8 tackles, including 1.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks. This past season was a major improvement for Owens, who finished with 70 tackles, including 10.5 TFL and four sacks, as well as a PBU and two forced fumbles.
His 10.5 TFL were 2.5 more than Arizona’s leading tackler for loss, Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, and his four sacks would have been good for second on the team, only 0.5 sack behind Tre Smith.
Owens will be a nice piece for Joe Seumalo and Arizona to develop, as he heads to Tucson with three years of eligibility remaining. Even with Chancellor Owens committed to Arizona, the Wildcats will need to continue looking to bolster their defensive front, with defensive linemen Stanley Ta’ufo’ou and Kevon Darton out of eligbility, and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei in the transfer portal. He joins a defensive line room featuring returners Chase Kennedy, Dominic Lolesio on the edges, and Isaiah Johnson and Chubba Ma’ae on the interior.