After a disappointing 4-8 record in Brent Brennan’s first season as head coach, the Arizona football program is feeling the pressure to turn things around in 2025.
The Wildcats are working to address several roster needs through the transfer portal, and on Thursday, they made a notable addition to their defense by signing Alcorn State EDGE rusher Malachi Bailey.
Although Bailey was believed to have played his final college season in 2024, a recent NCAA decision to grant an additional year of eligibility to JUCO players has given him the opportunity to play one more season in Tucson.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 260 pounds, Malachi Bailey began his career at Independence Community College before transferring to Alcorn State, where he played three seasons. During his time with the Braves, he accumulated 128 tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss, and 28 sacks.
A two-time All-SWAC selection in 2023 and 2024, Bailey is expected to strengthen a defensive line that already returns several key players, with the addition of another familiar face earlier this week.
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and will remain open until Saturday, December 28, with an exception for players from teams playing bowl games after the window closes.
According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal during the 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of those players, 57% enrolled at another school, 8% withdrew their names, and 35% remain active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.
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