Offensive lineman Matthew Lado warms up with teammates during an Arizona football morning practice session on Dec. 16, 2025, before the team headed to the 2026 Holiday Bowl.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
At tackle, with Bounds recovering from injury, Arizona’s tandem was redshirt sophomore Matthew Lado at left tackle and redshirt freshman Louis Akpa at right tackle.
“It’s fun to see Lado and Louis get those reps, because they’re both young players, especially in the lens of being an offensive lineman,” Brennan said. “That’s one of those positions that takes a lot of time and reps to master. It’s great to see them get their reps.”
Lado, a 6-6, 318-pound 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, then played the final three-plus games at right tackle for the injured Bounds.
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.”
Akpa “is really coming along,” Brennan said. The San Francisco product signed with the Wildcats at 6-6, 260 pounds. Akpa is now at 299 pounds.
“He’s a player that, since he’s been here, has put on a lot of good weight,” Brennan said of Akpa. “You start to see him grow into a man, because he’s long and thin. Similar to Lado. When I first got here with Lado, Lado was long and thin. That’s how those tackles are.”