Arizona’s injury problems are escalating as the Wildcats will be without two additional starters for the remainder of the season. Head coach revealed on Monday that starting linebacker Jacob Manu and starting left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai are both sidelined for the year.
Manu, who leads the team with 47 tackles—three of which are for loss—along with two pass deflections and a fumble recovery, is considered a key defensive leader. This setback comes as the team is already dealing with season-ending injuries to Treydan Stukes and Gunner Maldonado.
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“He’s an outstanding player,” Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina said earlier this season. “He is a model for us in terms of toughness. The linebacker position when you get in all that traffic, you have a starting point, but that’s an instinctive position.
“When we were here, Lance Briggs we turned to a linebacker. Marcus Bell was close to a 2,000 yard rusher and we turned him into a linebacker. Scooter Sprotte I think at the time held the Arizona rushing record and we moved to linebacker.
“They just see the game on the other side. They have a natural feel finding where the ball goes. Manu is that way. The other thing you like about Manu is he just has a real toughness about him and that’s the trademark of who we are.”
Meanwhile, Tapa’atoutai was clearly the top choice at left tackle. Despite experiencing some inconsistency in his first active season after redshirting as a true freshman, he has demonstrated potential, and the team has noticeably struggled in his absence.
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