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FRISCO, Texas — Big 12 Media Days continued on Wednesday at Ford Center at “The Star,â€� the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys. Here are notes and other items of information, along with an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football mailbag.

Once former ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ safety Gunner Maldonado entered the transfer portal in December, it didn’t take long for teams to inquire about joining their programs.

What’s not to like?

Maldonado was a mainstay in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s defensive secondary the last three seasons after transferring from Northwestern in 2021 and started 31 games in four years and had 175 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass deflections, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Maldonado’s missed-tackle percentage dropped from 24.2% in 2022 to 11.2% in ‘23, per Pro Football Focus. Opposing wide receivers’ yards after catch (YAC), with Maldonado in coverage, dipped from 283 yards to 166, according to PFF. Maldonado’s overall PFF grade rose from 50.9 to 77.1 and his tackling grade improved from 38.1 to 76.4 between the aforementioned seasons.

More notably, Maldonado produced one of the most iconic defensive plays in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ history, an 87-yard scoop-and-score to spark the Wildcats’ come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl in 2023.

Once Maldonado was a free agent for his final season of eligibility, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman “was the one who picked up the phone and called him myself when he got into the portal,� he said at Big 12 Media Days.

“The reason is, I’ve watched enough crossover tape when we played different teams and at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, that kid always showed up,â€� Klieman said.

Klieman also got to witness Maldonado up close when Kansas State routed ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 31-7 in Manhattan last season, when Maldonado started in place of injured strong safety Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith started at free safety.

“Fortunately, when we played them, (ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥) had somebody hurt and (Maldonado) had to play a different position and we exploited the guy who replaced him, because Gunner is a great football player,â€� Klieman said of Maldonado, who represented ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ at Big 12 Media Days last season.

Maldonado’s 2024 season was cut short due to a knee injury he suffered against Texas Tech, which preserved an additional year of eligibility for him. Maldonado will end his collegiate career this season at KSU, his third school — all of them with Wildcats as their mascot. Maldonado and Kansas State face ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on Friday, Sept. 12, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to complete the previously scheduled home-and-home nonconference series.

“I know he had his season cut short and we haven’t seen much of him yet because he’s coming back from injury, but that kid has that ‘it’ factor and you can tell,� Klieman said. “He was a two-time captain and I’m excited to watch him play. Haven’t seen a lot of him other than just being around, but he fits in with our guys.�

Bourguet enters BYU’s 3-quarterback race

For the fourth consecutive season, BYU will have a new starting quarterback — and it could be a ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ native.

Former starter Jake Retzlaff, who led the Cougars to an 11-2 record last year, is no longer with the team in the wake of a dismissed civil lawsuit that accused the BYU quarterback of rape. Despite the lawsuit being dropped, Retzlaff, who denied the allegations, faced a seven-game suspension for violating the school’s honor code.

BYU’s quarterback race is down to three players: Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead, Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ native Treyson Bourguet, who transferred from Western Michigan last season. The former Salpointe Catholic quarterback passed for 1,314 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in 10 games at WMU.

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said “all of those quarterbacks have something in common: they can all throw the ball.�

“That’s the one prerequisite that we have, is that you gotta be able to throw the ball. How you do it and your skillset is going to be unique to what you do. Luckily, we have an offensive coordinator and play-caller (Aaron Roderick) that has been there for a long time. We’ve been through quarterback battles before, so this isn’t a brand new thing.�

Media day mailbag

The Star solicited burning questions from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football fans on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — properly known as “Xâ€� — leading up to Big 12 Media Days. Here are the answers:

What does a full recruiting class look like for the UA in terms of total class count? What growth has occurred in front seven, particularly at (linebacker)? — Lee Simpson

A: It’s tough to gauge how ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s recruiting class will look during the early signing period in December. For reference, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ will have 55 scholarship newcomers this season. With the transfer portal and the financial-based culture of college football with revenue sharing and NIL, that could be the norm for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Currently, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s 2026 recruiting class sits at 20 high school players, and it’ll only grow with the transfer portal class.

As far as the defensive front seven, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s interior additions in the transfer portal, Deshawn McKnight and Tiaoalii Savea, are in line to start alongside defensive end Tre Smith, who attended Big 12 Media Days, and potentially Dominic Lolesio, among others.

After team captain and linebacker Jacob Manu transferred to Washington, the Wildcats’ linebacker corps consists of returning starter Taye Brown and transfers in Max Harris (Texas State) and Riley Wilson (Montana) and defensive end-converted-linebacker Chase Kennedy.

Wilson and Kennedy’s edge-rushing experience adds a dimension to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s defense and will likely provide a three-linebacker package this season, in addition to its 4-2-5 base defense. As shown in the spring, defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ system will include disguised blitzes from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s linebackers and defensive backs.

How do you guys go about the chatter still being about last year, and that some really don’t see this team being much, if any, better than last year? — Frankie Merrick

A: It’s no secret, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ fell short of its preseason expectations. A team viewed as a potential Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff contender had a disastrous season due to a plethora of injuries on defense and the offensive line — and the offensive coaching not matching with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s personnel, which had arguably the greatest offensive player in school history in wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Since the season ended, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has stacked up offseason victories, like added speed at wide receiver and running back in its 2025 recruiting class, along with multiple coaching hires, like rising offensive play-caller Seth Doege and UA legend and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a.

On paper, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ isn’t as talented as it was last season — as shown in the Wildcat-less preseason All-Big 12 Team — but it’s conceivable for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to find six wins in its home-heavy schedule. The Wildcats have five road games this season and one of them is against ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State in Tempe. In the first half of the schedule, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has five home games — all three nonconference games in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

Although ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ lost some of its top players to the NFL and the transfer portal, the Wildcats’ schedule, coupled with the coaching and player additions, could get them to 6-6 or 7-5.

As things stand today, what would you make the line in the biggest game of this season, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ vs. ASU? —  Cat Bus

A: We’ll leave the betting lines and spreads to the sports handicappers and professionals, but let’s just say the defending Big 12 champion will likely be favored in this contest.

There are other big-time games before the Territorial Cup. Following a likely 2-0 start against Hawaii and Weber State, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ will face Kansas State to conclude the nonconference schedule before entering a bye week and then the Big 12 opener against Iowa State in Ames. Kansas State and Iowa State combined for a 20-7 record last season and enter 2025 as some of the top teams in the Big 12.

How comfortable is Doege with (offensive) install, and how is the (offensive line) looking? — Mo Paiana

A: Jury is still out on Doege and how much his influence will change ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s offense, but early impressions suggest the UA offense will play with more snappiness and intent — and possibly score more points after ranking 15th in the Big 12 in scoring offense.

Even though ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s offense lost McMillan, returning starter Chris Hunter III and transfers in Kris Hutson, Javin “Nunuâ€� Whatley, Tre Spivey III and Luke Wysong, among others, give the Wildcats speed they didn’t have last season. Tight ends Keyan Burnett, Tyler Powell and Sam Olson could be a part of 13 personnel (three-tight end) packages for short-yardage situations and the red zone.

While ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s offense will be faster and more creative. The biggest concern for the Wildcats offensively falls on the offensive line, which added 14 scholarship newcomers in the offseason.

Multi-year starters Jonah Savaiinaea, Josh Baker and Wendell Moe Jr. are gone and the most experienced returners are redshirt sophomores Rhino Tapa’atoutai and Alexander Doost.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Brent Brennan noted Texas Tech transfer tackle Ty Buchananan as one of the top performers in the spring. The Wildcats also added Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds, a likely starter. Buchanan, Bounds, Tapa’atoutai and Doost, among others, will be in the mix to start.

The competition at center in the spring featured Hawaii transfer Ka’ena Decambra and redshirt junior Grayson Stovall. Defensive tackle-converted-offensive lineman Chubba Ma’ae has experience at center, but he only played left guard in the spring.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s offensive line — which ranked 14th in the Big 12 in sacks allowed, even with Savaiinaea, Baker and Moe — will be a position group of concern ahead of the season opener.