To get ready for the upcoming Arizona football season, All Sports Tucson offers a countdown, which will include history notes and a look ahead to the season — a good way to keep Arizona football on the mind in the summer months leading up to fall camp in early August and then kickoff against New Mexico on Aug. 31 in the start of the Brent Brennan era.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS PREVIOUS DAYS IN THE COUNTDOWN
A LOOK BACK — NO. 85 JOHN FOUSE
With it being the 85th day until kickoff between the Lobos and Wildcats, the best player to wear No. 85 for Arizona is tight end John Fouse, who emerged as one of the greatest to play for the Wildcats during his career from 1962-64. A three-year starter at tight end in football, he led the team in receptions his senior season. Also a standout pitcher/outfielder in baseball, he led the team in virtually all offensive categories in 1964 and 1965 and at time of induction in 1995 he still ranked high in the Arizona record book in power-hitting categories. As a pitcher, in 1965 he led the nation in victories (12), ERA (1.84), and shutouts (six, which remains an Arizona record) and was named third-team All-America, following honorable mention All- America honors in 1964. At time of induction he ranked third all-time at UA in shutouts. Drafted for professional football by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles and the AFL Buffalo Bills, he signed to play baseball with the Cleveland Indians, led the Pacific Coast League in pinch-hit home runs, and made several appearances with the parent team before retiring. Originally John decided to give football a try but failed his physical for the Eagles due to a leg problem. He then signed with the Indians and played 3 1/2 years in the minors as a pitcher and pinch hitter until a shoulder injury ended his career. After retirement from baseball, John worked as an insurance administrator in Poland, Ohio, and competed in handball tournaments. He is 81 and lives in Youngstown, Ohio.
NO. 85 IN 2024 — TE ROBERTO MIRANDA
Miranda, 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, is in his fifth year in the program starting in the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. He has appeared in 23 games over the last seasons mostly on special teams. Grew up playing soccer and then ran the 200- and 400-meter race in track and field while at Schul-und Leistungssportzentrum Berlin (equivalent of a high school) in Germany. Came to the U.S. to attend football camps after he was introduced to the sport by a friend and was noticed and recruited by a few colleges. Miranda made a strong impression during spring drills and should see significant playing time as Arizona’s tight end after being a reserve behind Tanner McLachlan the last two years.
NOTE
Brennan broke down the recent signing of 16 players in the transfer portal in a video released by Arizona football yesterday.
Here are the transfers:
| Player | Pos | Yr. | Former school |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | Sr. | New Mexico |
| Stanley Ta’ufo’ou | DE | Sr. | USC |
| Shanc’co Matautia | OT | Jr. | New Mexico/ASU |
| Sam Olson | TE | Jr. | San Jose State |
| Reymello Murphy | WR | Jr. | Old Dominion |
| Michael Wooten | OT | Soph. | Oregon |
| Lance Keneley | DE | Sr. | Stanford |
| Kendrick Reescano | RB | Soph. | Ole Miss |
| Adam Damante | QB | Soph. | NAU |
| Anthony Garcia | QB | Fr. | San Jose State |
| Chase Kennedy | DE | Soph. | Utah |
| Demetrius Freeney | CB | Soph. | Miami |
| Jarra Anderson | DT | Soph. | Memphis |
| Jeremiah Patterson | WR | Jr. | College of San Mateo (JC) |
| Jonah Rodriguez | OT | Fr. | San Diego State |
| Justin Holloway | LS | Sr. | Ohio |
With over a dozen new transfers added to the team this summer, @CoachBrennan breaks down what he and his staff were looking to add to the team with this transfer class! pic.twitter.com/avnTcpD9Hk
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) June 6, 2024
THEY SAID IT
“You always try to add pieces that you hope will help your football team. When you think about the transfer portal you think about what is going to impact this year’s team. The transfer portal can vary, too. You can have players who will be part of your program for six months or you have players who will be part of your program for two to three years. We’re excited about the additions. I think some of the biggest impact can come from the defensive linemen.” — Brennan on his transfers
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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