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An instinctive athlete with confidence and versatility; will fit best in a nickel defense. A starter for three-and-a-half years at Arizona, Stukes played the “F Kat” nickel position in defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ scheme. While playing under three different head coaches and five defensive coordinators over his college career, he was primarily an outside cornerback his first three seasons before moving inside for his final three years (1, 174 career snaps in the nickel, 943 at outside corner, 503 at safety). In his final season, he didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage and led the Big 12 in interceptions per game (0. 40). A former walk-on, Stukes competed with the same passion and toughness as a senior captain as he did when he was a wide-eyed freshman straining for a scholarship. Despite some wasted movements in his transitions, he closes space in coverage with the ball awareness to disrupt the catch point. He plays with toughness and physicality near the line, although he needs to clean up things as a tackler. Stukes can be too reactionary at times, but he is an instinctive athlete who plays with quiet confidence and valuable versatility. He projects best in the nickel, while offering outside or single-high flexibility. Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Note: Combine: Limited workout (choice; right hamstring). Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Treydan Ray Stukes, one of five children in his family (three girls, two boys), was born and raised outside of Phoenix by his parents (Ray Stukes Jr. and Theresa Tirres). Ray played cornerback at Glendale (Ariz. ) Community College (1992-93) before transferring and starting at Pacific University (1994-95). After college, he had a brief career in the Arena Football League for the New York City Hawks (1998). Treydan Stukes’ older sister (Terayah) played college volleyball at New Mexico Highlands (2020-22). His dad introduced him to football at a young age and steered him toward defense (his father also wore No. 2). Stukes attended Millennium High School in Goodyear, Ariz. , where he was a multisport letterman. After playing on the freshman team in his first season, he saw time on both JV and varsity as a sophomore cornerback. Stukes then started on varsity as a junior and helped Millennium to a 9-3 record and a 2018 regional title. He finished that season with 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble. As a senior, Stukes became a two-way player (wide receiver and corner) and again helped lead Millennium to a regional title. He earned all-conference honors, with 40 tackles, a team-best 15 passes defended and seven interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown). He added 10 catches for 173 yards and five touchdowns. Stukes was a standout track athlete and placed second at the 2019 state championships in the triple jump (45 feet 8. 25 inches). He set personal bests of 17. 38 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, 43. 86 in the 300 hurdles and 21-8. 75 in the long jump. A no-star recruit, Stukes wasn’t ranked by 247 Sports Composite in the 2020 class. A late bloomer, he stood just 5-foot-11, 150 pounds as a senior — his lack of size caused him to go overlooked by college recruiters. He received scholarship opportunities for track (Northern Arizona, Grand Canyon, Montana), but he wanted to play football. Signing day came and went, and Stukes was still without a home. However, Arizona defensive coordinator (and former Iowa State head coach) Paul Rhoads, who was Ray Stukes Jr. ’s defensive backs coach at Pacific, helped get Treydan Stukes’ tape in front of the other Arizona coaches. Stukes subsequently received a walk-on opportunity in the summer of 2020. After just one year in the program, he earned a scholarship from newly hired head coach Jedd Fisch. After missing most of the 2024 season with a knee injury, Stukes briefly entered the transfer portal but ultimately returned to Arizona for his sixth season of eligibility in 2025. He carried a 4. 0 GPA in high school and made the Big 12 Academic Honor Roll. Stukes graduated with a degree in sports and society (May 2024). He opted out of the Wildcats’ bowl game and accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl before pulling out of the event. Advertisement Written by Dane Brugler; designed and produced by Junghye Kim, Thomas Oide and Yuriko Schumacher; illustrations by Mojo Wang; edited by Chris Burke and Skye Gould; art direction by Dan Goldfarb and Will Tullos; additional development by Elijah Soria, Laura Pelton, Matt Myers and Oliver Viehweger; additional production by Dan Goldfarb, Kelsea Petersen, Demetrius Robinson and Drew Jordan; additional editing by Ken Bradley, Adam Coleman, Alison Cotsonika, David De Chant, Jimmy Durkin, Gary Gramling, Adam Hirshfield, Cristina Ledra, Dave Niinemets, Mike Sansone, Dan Steinberg and Josiah Turner. Sources: Select data from footballreference. com and Pro Football Focus.