Arizona S Daylen Austin among ESPN’s 40 most important college players for 2026

The Arizona Wildcats’ defense was vicious at defending the passing game in 2025, arguably the biggest reason they won nine games after just four in Brent Brennan’s first season as head coach.

The back end of the defense set the tone to begin the season, tallying seven interceptions before it gave up its first passing touchdown. But all four Wildcats selected in the 2026 NFL Draft were defensive backs, leaving the Arizona secondary in a major rebuilding phase.

Redshirt junior safety Daylen Austin, who spent the previous three seasons at Oregon, will likely be one of the pieces relied on to bounce back from the departures, and ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked him 33rd on a list of the 40 most important players in college football.

Austin had 20 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, one interception and three passes defensed over 27 games in his previous two seasons, while getting the majority of his snaps on special teams (65.2%, per PFF).

Connelly wrote:

The Wildcats’ offense should be strong again thanks to veteran quarterback Noah Fifita & Co., but without last year’s top five defensive backs, coordinator Danny Gonzales will need some huge contributions from transfers like Austin, a former blue-chipper and Oregon backup who certainly looked the part in a small sample. With another top-30 defense, Arizona is a Big 12 contender.

Austin’s blue-chip pedigree includes being the No. 117 player in 247 Sports’ composite ranking for the class of 2023, including No. 12 at his position and top 10 among California prospects.

The highly touted transfer was among several Wildcats who Brennan mentioned on Tuesday would be limited or out to begin fall camp with an undisclosed injury. Wednesday marked Arizona’s first practice.

Austin was the top Big 12 player featured on the list who is not a quarterback or at conference-favorite Texas Tech.

Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley, who has not yet been named the Sun Devils’ Week 1 starter, was included as an honorable mention in Connelly’s Big 12 section along with Austin’s own signal-caller, Fifita.

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