ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ added another FCS linebacker in the transfer portal on Thursday as former Montana linebacker Riley Wilson pledged to the Wildcats.
Wilson, who has one more season of eligibility, selected ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ over Boise State, Houston and Memphis.
The Prosper, Texas, native started his college career at Hawaii during the pandemic-influenced season in 2020. In his last season with the Rainbow Warriors, Wilson played in four games and redshirted before transferring to Montana.
In two seasons at Montana, the 6-2, 224-pound Wilson was a back-to-back second-team All-Big Sky Conference choice. He had the second-most tackles for loss (15) in the Big Sky in 2023. Wilson had 136 tackles and 26.5 stops for loss in two seasons at Montana.
Former Montana linebacker Riley Wilson is joining the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats for the 2025 season.
Wilson joins former Northwestern State standout and FCS All-American Blake Gotcher as linebackers in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s 2025 transfer portal class.
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Gotcher had 162 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss, 4.5 sacks, two fumbles and an interception in Northwestern State’s winless season (0-12) in 2024. Gotcher led FCS in tackles and tallied the fourth-most tackles in Northwestern State history.
Wilson and Gotcher join a linebacker room that lost preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Jacob Manu, who transferred to Washington to reunite with former UA head coach Jedd Fisch. Manu led the Pac-12 in tackles (116) and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and Associated Press All-Pac-12 First Team in 2023. Manu was the first Wildcat to lead the Pac-12 in tackles since Scooby Wright in 2014.
Manu was the leading tackler for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ until he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Second-year linebacker Kamuela Ka’aihue entered the transfer portal after the season. The Wildcats also lost Jared Small to graduation, but still have Justin Flowe, freshmen Stacy Bey and Jabari Mann and redshirt freshman Levicus Su’a. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ signed Southern California native Carter Jones and three-star San Antonio linebacker Myron Robinson in its 2025 recruiting class.
Wilson is the fourth FCS-level player to join ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Besides Wilson and Gotcher, the Wildcats also picked up Northwestern State edge rusher Chancellor Owens and Mercyhurst tight end Cameron Barmore.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
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