Hunter Echols was named the Pac-12 co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against North Dakota State this past weekend.

The two big plays for Echols were a sack for a loss of 12 yards and a forced fumble. He also recorded eight total tackles (four of them solo) with two going for a loss. He shared the weekly honor with Oregon's Brandon Dorlus.

Arizona coach Jedd Fisch talked to the media Monday afternoon about the leadership he has seen so far this season from Echols.

"Hunter brings the veteran experience on a young team," Fisch said. "As we're building this program up, it is nice to have some guys that have done it at different places, guys that graduated already. Hunter is a grad transfer from USC, so he is able to keep the guys in check in some opportunities and also motivate them in others."

Overall, Echols leads Arizona with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, while tallying 19 tackles overall.

Echols and the Wildcats open up Pac-12 play on the road against Cal on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MST. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network.

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