Arizona offensive line 'really coming together well as a unit'

Savaiinaea, Moe and Baker played a combined 7,371 offensive snaps in their Arizona careers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Savaiinaea is now preparing for the NFL Draft, Moe transferred to Tennessee and Baker is out of eligibility, leaving left tackle Rino Tapa’atoutai and right guard Alexander Doost as the most experienced returning offensive linemen for Arizona.

The 6-7, 331-pound Doost, who played his first collegiate snaps last season after transferring from Northwestern and became a PFF Freshman All-American, and Tapa’atoutai, who also played his first-ever snaps as the successor to Jordan Morgan, combined for 998 snaps last season.

Doost “has made huge strides from when he first got here to where he is now,” said Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby, who also called Doost “one of the ringleaders” of Arizona’s offensive line.

“He’s another guy that has taken on a leadership role within the group, because when you look at it, it’s an entirely new group,” Oglesby said of Doost. “When it comes to snaps played for the Wildcats, he’s considered a veteran. He’s working every day to work on the things he needs to improve on. He’s another one that people look at him and you’d think he’s 30 years old, but last year was the first time he stepped on a college football field to play in a game.

“Everything that happened to him last year was new. Having that under his belt and him continuing to grow has been awesome for him. He’s another one, even with the recognition he received at the end of last season, he’s hungrier than ever. He’s in my office every day.”

Doost, who has been lauded by Arizona coaches and teammates as one of the strongest players on the team, credited Savaiinaea for his growth last season.

“He really taught me what it’s like to be a starting offensive lineman,” Doost said of Savaiinaea. “How to act, how to treat teammates, how to perform well in stressful situations. Almost every single game, no matter how down we were, Jonah was always level-headed and there to make sure to keep playing.”

Doost is expected to be a mainstay on Arizona’s offensive line this season, with potentially Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Brown or Hawaii transfer Ka’ena Decambra at left guard. Arizona is experimenting several potential starters at center this spring.

Arizona’s starting offensive tackle tandem likely won’t be decided until preseason training camp this summer considering Tapa’atoutai isn’t available this spring due to recovery for his season-ending knee injury against Colorado last season.

Oglesby said, “I don’t believe in guys losing their position due to injury.”

“Maybe that’s a little bit because of my past, dealing with injuries and fighting back to regain your position, especially because he was playing at a really good level before he got dinged,” said Arizona’s offensive line coach. “We’ll be smart about his return to play and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, I’m having to tell him, ‘Calm down, stop! You’re not cleared yet.’ If you watch practice, you’ll see him 20 yards behind the group and he gets the play from me and he goes through his footwork.”

Despite spending a large portion of his time during spring practices on “rehab island,” Tapa’atoutai is among the top vocal leaders for the Wildcats. The redshirt sophomore and Salt Lake City-area native “has been unbelievable in that role” and is engaged during team periods,” Oglesby said. Even though he isn’t cleared to practice, “he makes sure we’re on our assignments and not slacking off,” said Doost.

“You couldn’t have asked for a better person in that role,” Oglesby added. “He’s been a phenomenal cheerleader for those guys and he’s been a great voice for them when they come back to the sideline, just talking them through different things, different issues that come up, different technical things.

“He has really grown not only as a leader, but as a player during this time. He’s really dove into learning the scheme, learning the adjustments, learning more about defense. I’m so excited for when he gets back to see where all of this goes for him. The sad thing about Rhino, when his injury happened, he was coming into his own.”

Other tackles in contention for snaps this spring are Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds, Texas Tech transfer Ty Buchanan, redshirt freshman Matthew Lado and redshirt junior Michael Wooten, among others. Bounds and Buchanan, who played 681 offensive snaps at Texas Tech, have been Arizona’s starting tackle tandem this spring with Tapa’atoutai out.

The 6-8, 305-pound Bounds played the last four seasons at Michigan and was a part of the Wolverines’ national championship team as a backup in 2023. Akin to former UA defensive lineman Bill Norton, who became a key player at Arizona in 2023 after having a minimal role at Georgia, Bounds could go from backup at a prominent program to standout with a rebuilding team.

Bounds, a Bethesda, Maryland, native, was a three-star recruit at Choate Rosemary Hall (Connecticut) and signed with the Jim Harbaugh-coached Wolverines in 2021. Bounds played 41 offensive snaps over three seasons at Michigan, before entering the transfer portal for his final season.

Bounds chose Arizona, because he “felt like they were moving in the right direction with the culture” and Tucson “felt like a good home and fit,” he said.

“Winning was a big priority and something everybody was all bought in to,” Bounds said. “There were a lot of people upset about how the way things went. I was excited to be a part of that and jump into something where everyone was willing to grind and work and get after it.”

In comparison to his tackle predecessors in Savaiinaea and Morgan, Bounds is leaner and doesn’t weigh as much, albeit is taller. As Oglesby noted on Saturday, “6-8, 300 looks a lot different than 6-2, 300.” Oglesby said Arizona would “like for him to get a little bit bigger, but some of it still has to be about functionality” and find “that happy medium of being larger but not to the point where he loses who he is.”

Despite Bounds’ frame and ability to quickly move upfield could be better suited for Arizona’s uptempo, no-huddle offense under offensive coordinator Seth Doege. Michigan huddled between plays and used 13 personnel lineups (one running back and three tight ends). Arizona’s offense is a “very different world,” Bounds said.

“It’s a little more tiring at practice, but it has the same effect on the defense,” Bounds said. “Later in games, if we’re in good shape, it’s going to be great for us. It’s going to be super beneficial.”

Buchanan was a part of a similar offense at TTU and said, “It’s nice to go into the same offense at a different program.”

Doost said adjusting to the pace of “took a few practices to get used to it.”

“The first few (practices) we puked, definitely,” Doost joked. “But I feel like we have a better handle on it.”

Through two weeks, Arizona’s offensive line “is really coming together well as a unit,” Oglesby said. “It’s been awesome to see, especially when you’re taking guys from all over the country and seeing them merge with the guys who are already here.

“Their impact, I think, has been immediate, just because of the depth added to the room and our ability to mix and match and find what grouping works best. I’m really glad that we have them. They’re all extremely bought in, which is awesome.”

Extra points

— Bounds and Buchanan credited defensive ends Tre Smith and Dominic Lolesio as notable players to match up with them during team periods. Doost said defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea “is hard to move.” Added Doost: “He’s a huge guy. He’s very powerful.”

— Bounds, on playing for Harbaugh at Michigan: “I love that dude. Big part of why I went to Michigan. Super sad to see him go when I was still there. Nothing but great things to say about Coach Harbaugh. Unbelievable person, unbelievable coach.”

— Bounds, on his missing front tooth he lost playing in Michigan’s spring game last year: “I’ve been kind of rocking it. These guys tell me it’s my look, but I’ve had teeth for 21-23 years, so I’m ready to get it fixed. Until I get it fixed, there’s nothing I can do about it, so might as well love it.”

— Buchanan said “there aren’t challenges” to being a vegetarian offensive lineman since he’s been one his entire life. Said Bounds: “I tried the tofu. It wasn’t my favorite. I’ll stick the with steak.”

— Most of Arizona’s current players were in EA Sports’ College Football 25 video game, but others, like UT Martin transfer defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight, will be in the next rendition of the wildly popular college football video game for the first time. Said McKnight: “It’s a dream come true. Things like this for kids where I’m from don’t really happen too often. Me being able to be one of those kids is a blessing. I don’t take it for granted.”