As Arizona prepares for Pac-12 play this weekend, tight end Tanner McLachlan, cornerback Treydan Stukes and coordinators Brennan Carroll and Johnny Nansen spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Here are five takeaways from what they had to say ahead of the road game at Cal:
How McLachlan ended up at Arizona
After starting his college career at Southern Utah, McLachlan wound up tearing his ACL in the spring of 2021. The Thunderbirds coaching staff was fired and McLachlan was looking for a change.
"I was kind of in-between programs," McLachlan said. "I decided to bet on myself and that is when I decided to walk on here around Christmas time. It is the best decision I have made so far."
His connection to Arizona came through former Wildcat Paul Magloire Jr., who knew tight ends coach Jordan Paopao.
McLachlan, who is from Canada, had always dreamed of going to Arizona growing up. It all started when he take trips to Arizona with his family for the warm weather. He also attended an Arizona-Washington State game in 2014 with his high school team.
"I remember being on the sidelines and I was a huge Arizona fan seeing Arizona run out," McLachlan said. "I knew that one day I wanted to play for Arizona. I didn't know how I was going to get there. I didn't know when it was going to happen, but I knew I wanted to be here, and it is funny how life works out because obviously it happened and I'm pretty excited about it."
After walking onto the team when he first came to Arizona, Jedd Fisch announced prior the season opener against San Diego State that McLachlan had earned a scholarship. Once a walk-on himself, Stukes knows of the grind it takes to work from being a walk-on to earning a scholarship.
"I was so happy for him when they announced that," Stukes said. "I just remember when I got my scholarship from being a walk-on. I watched Tanner, he got here in the summer and he has been working his back side off. I didn't even know he was a walk-on."
The crowded tight end room McLachlan entered
The Wildcats already had an established starter at tight end in Alex Lines with a highly regarded freshman recruit in Keyan Burnett, so McLachlan didn't necessarily have a clear path to a major role when he arrived. He had to work for it all offseason coming off an ACL tear, and despite that through three games, McLachlan leads Arizona tight ends in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (111).
"Coming in as a walk-on led me to have a chip on my shoulder," McLachlan said. "That has been a blessing because I've approached every day with that mindset and trying to get better, trying to be the best in the room and trying to be the best version of myself. Keyan and Alex, they're great. I love having them in the room. I love them pushing me every day. They're both great football players, so all of us can contribute regardless of what we're asked."
