As Arizona gears up for the 2025 football season, its special teams unit is undergoing a dynamic transformation. With the addition of seasoned coach in Craig Naivar and the emergence of versatile players like Micheal Salgado-Medina and Luke Wysong, the Wildcats are poised to make significant strides in all facets of special teams play.
Medina: Embracing dual role
Kicker/punter Medina has quickly become a cornerstone of Arizona's special teams. In his freshman season, he appeared in 11 games, averaging 43.3 yards per punt, which ranked eighth in the Big 12. Notably, he recorded six punts of 50-plus yards, including a 71-yard boot against UCF.
Reflecting on his approach to kicking, Medina acknowledges the common comparison to a golf swing but emphasizes his unique perspective:
"I guess you could say both," Medina said when asked if he views himself as a punter or kicker. "Throughout high school, I never told myself I was one or the other. I always saw myself as someone able to do both."
When discussing his field goal range, he focuses on consistency over distance:
"Obviously, like, just work making the kicks right now. I mean, not really worried about distance right now, but I mean when that comes, they'll come."
Facing the challenges of playing as a freshman, Medina adopts a growth mindset:
"I just kind of obviously reflected on it. It already happened. Not to worry about it too much. It already happened in the past. I can't go back and fix it, but just to learn from it, and be hungry to learn, because I feel like sometimes as a freshman, you can get, like, knocked down and discouraged, but you got to keep going. It's part of it."
Medina's adaptability and commitment to improvement position him as a valuable contributor to Arizona's special teams unit moving forward.
