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Between the retention of coaches and players, it's one of Arizona's proudest moments as a football program right now. And no position group benefits from continuity more than the offensive line. 

With Arizona's offensive line entering its second season under offensive coordinator Seth Doege and third year under offensive line coach Josh Oglesby, "it's invaluable because it's all accrued reps."

"Everything stacks," Oglesby said. "The more times you can hear the same terminology, the same standard, the same set of rules, the same combination of plays, it all stacks. This spring, instead of learning something new, we're building on what we already know, and it gives us a chance to further understand what it is we're doing offensively, schematically, as well as positionally." 

Oglesby compared the evolution of learning the same system as moving on from algebra, to algebra II, to pre-calculus and calculus.

"Everything just stacks and continues to grow, so the longer you can have that continuity, the better off you are because it's less teaching and more building on what they already know," Oglesby said. 

Alexander Doost, Arizona's third-year starter at right guard, said "it's awesome" not having to learn a new offense "because it definitely took me a while to learn it at the beginning. Now that I know it, I feel like I have the knowledge of what to do and help the guys next to me." 

Developing continuity and chemistry happens off the field, too. Arizona's offensive linemen are often over at Oglesby's house to watch UFC fights and have friendly competition in a game of darts or playing the "College Football 26" video game. Recently, Arizona's offensive line went to see the movie "Project Hail Mary" in theaters. Doost said the Wildcats are "always hanging out." 

"It's very important," Doost said. "Let's say you have a group that has never hung out outside of the facility; they just work out and that's it. When they come out on the field, they're not going to know if they trust the guy next to him or if they like playing next to him."

Arizona's offensive line is a work in progress this spring and the months leading up to the season that starts in September. But the pieces are starting to form together. Here's a look at five potential starters for the Wildcats' offensive line this fall, along with a look at others in the mix. 

Matthew Lado

±Ê´Ç²õ¾±³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:ÌýTackle

³Û±ð²¹°ù:ÌýRedshirt sophomore

Height, weight: 6-6, 318 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Glendale (Apollo High School)

The rundown: Oglesby said the Wildcats are "very deep at tackle" this season. One of their options is Lado, who's entering his third season at Arizona after signing with the previous coaching regime in 2024. 

Oglesby is "extremely impressed and excited about Matthew Lado" after the Phoenix-area native spent the last two seasons as a backup, but was thrust into playing time in the second half of last season. 

Lado stepped in for injured left tackle Ty Buchanan in the final three quarters of the Wildcats' bowl-clinching win over Kansas. Oglesby, who played tackle at Wisconsin, said "our stories are very similar in the sense of how we got on the field." Oglesby replaced Outland Trophy winner Gabe Carimi, who was injured for the Badgers' 31-13 loss to Ohio State in 2009. 

"Lado gets thrusted into a situation where he has to replace Ty in a game that is a battle — that is a battle," Oglesby said.

Added Oglesby: "In that first opportunity, you don't have time to be nervous. Your number is called, and you gotta go. I think that speaks to him in general and how he prepares. He had to prepare as if he were a starter. You have to take advantage of this opportunity, because the opportunity of a lifetime only lasts the lifetime of that opportunity.

"He did that in spades with the games that he played and games that he started, and it's propelled him into having a great spring. We're looking for him to continue that growth for him to solidify his spot on the unit this year." 

Said Lado: "When you're a (backup), you always have to be ready to play. That's the expectation in the O-Line room, to always be ready to perform. Next man up, be ready to play." 

Lado played right tackle the last three-plus games of the season after starter Tristan Bounds suffered a season-ending leg injury.

"Lado knows what to do," Doost said. "Lado's a strong dude. When he was out there, there wasn't any drop-off; it was business as usual." 

Including the Holiday Bowl loss to SMU, Lado didn't allow a sack in 183 pass-blocking snaps, though he surrendered nine quarterback pressures and two quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus.  

"For him, having the opportunity to be in those games and be in the mix and be a part of meaningful games and meaningful wins has caused his confidence to explode," Oglesby said. "The offseason he's had in the weight room, now the strength is matching the confidence. He's super exciting to watch. I won't call it a surprise, because it was something everyone knew was there, and now we're excited to see it come to fruition."

Rhino Tapa'atoutai

±Ê´Ç²õ¾±³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:ÌýGuard

³Û±ð²¹°ù:ÌýRedshirt junior

Height, weight: 6-5, 316 pounds

Hometown (previous school): West Valley City, Utah (Bishop Alemany High School)  

The rundown: Chubba Maae's successor at left guard could conceivably be Tapa'atoutai, who's transitioning from tackle. 

After returning from a knee injury last season, "we felt like there were times Rhino struggled on the edge last year," Doege said.

Doost said, "Rhino has always been the Swiss-Army man" for playing both right and left tackle. In 231 snaps last season, including a season-high 86 snaps in the Holiday Bowl, Tapa'atoutai surrendered 12 quarterback pressures and a team-high three sacks, according to PFF. 

"I think a lot of it had to do with his confidence coming back from a knee injury," Doege said. "There were moments where he looked like his old self, and then were moments where he was like, 'Oh, no, am I ready?' That shook his confidence a little bit. Looking at his skill set and how strong he is, how explosive he is, it just seems like he's a better fit at guard.

"We felt like if we moved him to guard, that replaces a need in losing Chubba. We feel really strong about that move. That was something we talked to Rhino about it and Rhino was on board."

Playing guard, "obviously it's new, but it's an easier world compared to tackle," Tapa'atoutai said.

"I'm excited for the future moving forward in that spot," he added. "You can put me anywhere and I'll do it." 

The Wildcats "have full confidence in Rhino" as a mainstay on Arizona's offensive line and "him moving inside is beneficial not only for him, but for us as a team," Oglesby said.

"The opportunity to be in close space, allowing him to use his violence and physicality a little bit more on the inside with the amount of counter that we run — getting him on the pulls and different things like that," Oglesby said. "The inside suits him a little bit better, especially with the development we've had at the tackle position. ... Prototypical guard is awesome for him, because of the way he plays, the mauler mentality." 

Zachary Henning

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³Û±ð²¹°ù:ÌýRedshirt junior 

Height, weight: 6-4, 299 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Centennial, Colorado (Washington)

The rundown: The Wildcats shopped in the transfer portal market for a center after losing starter Ka'ena Decambra to graduation, and they found one in Henning, who played two seasons for former UA head coach Jedd Fisch at Washington. 

Henning played in 13 games last season and recorded 333 offensive snaps in place of starter Landen Hatchett, who broke his hand. Henning will likely start at center, with redshirt senior Grayson Stovall and redshirt freshman Javian Goo as backups.  

"When you watched Zach's tape, he jumped off the tape at you," Oglesby said. "Being in an offense that was multiple was beneficial, he's been exposed to multiple things. His athleticism that you saw on tape was enticing. He wasn't an easy get, I'll tell you that. There were a lot that wanted his services, but we preached to him the opportunity of truly being developed." 

Henning "jumped in the room and fit in perfectly" on the field and off the field. 

"This group is extremely close and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that," Oglesby said. "Zach was a perfect fit for not only the football side, but the social side."

Doost said Henning "really cares about the job, so he learned the playbook immediately."

"When we get out there, it's never a problem asking him for the calls or anyone asking him, like the QB or the running back," Doost said of Henning. "He's always on top of everything." 

Alexander Doost

±Ê´Ç²õ¾±³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:ÌýGuard

³Û±ð²¹°ù:ÌýRedshirt junior

Height, weight: 6-7, 340 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Phoenix (Northwestern)

The rundown: Doost has played just over 1,500 snaps at right guard in his two-year career with the Wildcats. 

Doost, who was initially recruited to play tackle at Arizona, has become one of the leaders on Arizona's offensive line.

Doost is the only current UA offensive player besides quarterback Noah Fifita, wide receiver Chris Hunter and Tapa'atoutai who started multiple games for the Wildcats in 2024.  

Tristan Bounds

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Year: Redshirt senior 

Height, weight: 6-8, 306 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Bethesda, Maryland (Michigan)

The rundown: When Bounds was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, "it was like the biggest sigh of relief in the office."

Bounds, who is limited this spring due to knee rehab, has played 669 offensive snaps in his collegiate career — 628 of them at Arizona. Bounds evolved into one of the Wildcats' top offensive linemen and started eight games at right tackle in 2025, allowing three sacks in 372 pass-blocking snaps.

"For all of the things Tristan is, the biggest part is the experience," Oglesby said. "We don't have to break someone completely new at that position. The experiences that he brought with him from his previous school, as well as the things he learned and took from this past season, it has been invaluable for the room and for him. Once we got word that we were good there, it was a giant sigh of relief. 'Alright, let's push forward.'" 

Lado said "it's big to have Tristan back another season."

"He's played a lot of games and is a big guy in the room for leadership," Lado said. "He knows what he's talking about because of experience."

Bounds' return is a win-win for Arizona. The Wildcats know one of their starting tackles is back, and his injury rehab "gives us time to grow the young tackles in the program," like Louis Akpa and Jaxon Grifffin, said Oglesby. San Jose State transfer and redshirt junior Nathan Hale is also in the mix at tackle this spring. 

"They haven't been here for a calendar year and they get to learn from a guy like that," added Arizona's offensive line coach.  

With Bounds out, the 6-6, 299-pound Akpa, a redshirt freshman from San Francisco, "has gotten a great amount of reps" at tackle.

"I love his relentlessness," Doost said of Akpa. "He takes a bull rush to the face and doesn't complain about it. He just runs to the ball and gets set. That kid has a good attitude. I love playing next to Louis."

Practice makes perfect. That's what spring is for, especially the underclassmen. 

"Once you see those guys take reps in practice, their growth becomes exponential," Oglesby said. "Watching is one thing, but actually having to go out and execute and make the calls and hearing the communication, it's been huge for him."