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Kicker

Key returners (year): Michael Salgado-Medina (So.), Cash Peterman (R-Sr.)

Key departures: Tyler Loop

Key additions (previous school):Ìý±·´Ç²Ô±ð

The rundown: The last time someone besides Loop made a field goal for Arizona, it was Lucas Havrisik's 57-yarder against Utah in 2021, which tied a school record until Loop made a 62-yard field goal against Houston in 2024.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Loop has attempted every field goal for the Wildcats. As Loop got older, he became a better kicker — and arguably the best kicker in UA history. 

In five years at Arizona, Loop posted an 83.8% field-goal rate, which currently ranks 39th in college football history; it’s also the best mark in Arizona history. Loop’s 327 points are third in school history behind Max Zendejas (360) and Art Luppino (337).

Last season, Loop was 6 for 9 in field goals of at least 50 yards, which included the 62-yarder. Loop owns the UA single-game school record with five field goals against Texas Tech. In Loop's last two seasons at Arizona, he had 126 touchbacks in 140 attempts (90%).

Loop, who could become the first UA kicker selected in the NFL Draft since Nick Folk in 2007, stood out during the kicking competition at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Loop made 13 of 14 field goals (93.3%) and tied Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald for the second-best field-goal rate; both made 60-yard field goals to end the competition. 

Replacing Loop won't be a simple fix for Arizona. 

The leaders in the clubhouse to succeed Loop are Salgado-Medina, who just finished his freshman season as Arizona's starting punter, and Peterman, a social media influencer and one of the UA's top NIL figures.

Salgado-Medina made 27 of 35 field goals during his high school career at Mission Viejo (California). Salgado-Medina's career-long at Mission Viejo is 52 yards. He also had 124 touchbacks on 192 kickoffs.

Arizona signed San Diego-area kicker and punter Tyler Prasuhn for 2025. Prasuhn is the son of former Arizona kicker John Prasuhn. The younger Prasuhn made 18 of 22 field goals at Carlsbad High School (California). 

First-year special teams coordinator Craig Naivar, who comes over from Coastal Carolina, will endure an open competition at every special teams position entering his first season at the helm.

Punter

Key returners (year): Salgado-Medina, Peterman, Jordan Forbes (R-Jr.)

Key departures: Loop

Key additions (previous school):Ìý±·´Ç²Ô±ð

The rundown: Three players punted for Arizona in 2024: Salgado-Medina, Forbes and Loop. 

Loop's first punt of the season — his first attempt since 2020 — against Kansas State was returned 71 yards for a touchdown, which was a turning point in the game for KSU.  

Salgado-Medina had the most punt attempts (39) at Arizona last season and averaged 43.3 yards per punt. He had 15 punts land inside the 20-yard line. 

Since Loop was the starting kicker Salgado-Medina shouldered field-goal holding duties in addition to punting. Salgado-Medina had three poor holds in as many games that led to two missed PATs and a field goal. 

“It’s just like playing any other freshman, there’s going to be some moments out there where it is challenging and where it is hard," Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said in November. "To his credit, I think he’s performed at a high level (for) most of the (2024) season. ... He’s going to be a big-time football player for us."

Salgado-Medina wasn't Arizona's only special teams player with blunders in 2024. Arizona allowed a fake field goal for a touchdown against West Virginia and a fake PAT — known as "swinging gate" — for a two-point conversion against Texas Tech. Arizona also failed to convert on the surprise onside kick attempt to open the 34-7 loss to Colorado in Tucson. 

In the season finale against Arizona State, Loop missed a 55-yard field goal subsequent to a false-start penalty after left tackle Michael Wooten subbed in after the snap because the Wildcats only had 10 players on the field. 

Brennan said the moment "was totally ridiculous."

"I was extremely frustrated with that moment in the game," Brennan said after the Territorial Cup. "Not because of Wooten. … The guy in charge of that should've had that clean. That's on me, because I'm responsible for all of those pieces." 

Long snapper

Key returners (year): Trey Naughton (R-Jr.)

Key departures: Justin Holloway

Key additions (previous school):Ìý±·´Ç²Ô±ð

The rundown: In back-to-back seasons, Arizona will have a new long snapper after the five-year career by Seth MacKellar. Holloway was in Tucson for the 2024 season after transferring from Ohio.

Naughton, a Tucson native and former Salpointe Catholic Lancer, is currently the only long snapper on Arizona's roster. Naughton transferred to Arizona from Western Kentucky last season. The Wildcats will likely add one or two more long snappers before the 2025 season. 

Returner

Key returners (year): Wide receiver Jeremiah Patterson (R-Sr.), safety Jack Luttrell (R-So.)

Key departures: Running back Rayshon "Speedy" Luke, running back Quali Conley, cornerback Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine

Key additions (previous school): Running back Ismail Mahdi (Texas State), wide receiver Javin Whatley (Chattanooga), running back Quincy Craig

The rundown: Patterson was Arizona's leading punt returner and kick returner last season. As a kick returner, Patterson had 27 attempts for 596 yards. As a punt returner, Patterson recorded 78 yards on 14 returns. 

At Texas State, Mahdi led FBS in all-purpose yards (2,169) in 2023 and was a two-time All-Sun Belt First-Team member in '23 and '24. Mahdi was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports and 247Sports in '23. Football Writers Association of America gave Mahdi a second-team All-American nod as an all-purpose player in ’23.

In two seasons at Texas State, Mahdi had 31 kick returns for 760 yards and a touchdown.

Before Craig's three-year career at Portland State, he was a standout running back and returner at Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei, where he had 2,100 all-purpose yards — 464 rushing, 759 receiving and 877 as a returner.