Linebacker Brian Wagner's transfer from Akron to Arizona was a surprising blessing for a Wildcat defense in desperate need of depth, but it will not come to fruition.
The nation's second leading tackler a season ago, Wagner will not play in 2012. He told The Tucson Citizen's Anthony Gimino he "[doesn't] have love for the game anymore."
Wagner's departure is a huge void for a Wildcat defense that ranked No. 107 in points allowed last season. Wagner was immediately eligible per NCAA regulations for graduate students. UA's linebacking corps already was its likely greatest weakness. Now, defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel faces an even more uphill battle readying the unit for competition in an offensively proficient Pac-12.