Arizona defensive lineman JB Brown will not play rest of season, could redshirt and return in 2022

Arizona’s defensive line is by far its deepest position on that side of the ball, with 11 different players seeing snaps during the first five games of the season. That includes JB Brown, a senior who appeared in the Wildcats’ first four games including starts against BYU, San Diego State and Oregon.

But Brown did not play in last week’s home game against UCLA, despite being dressed, and afterward coach Jedd Fisch said that “personal things” led to Brown not playing.

Since then Brown was removed from the depth chart, where he’d been listed as the starter at the “anchor” defensive end position (senior Mo Diallo is now the listed starter, with freshman Paris Shand the No. 2 anchor).

Fisch said Thursday that Brown, who has started 17 games and played in 32 for the UA since 2017, is done playing this season.

“JB’s not going to be with us for the games,” Fisch said. “It will enable him to most likely have another year of eligibility to be able to help us as he’s working through some other things.”

The 6-foot-3, 281-pound Brown, who became a father during training camp, is redshirt-eligible since he’s only played in four games and had not redshirted in a previous season. This was his fifth year in college, having opted out of the 2020 season.

If Brown puts his name into the NCAA transfer portal it would be the third UA player to do so this fall and second from the defensive line. Offensive lineman Edgar Burrola entered the portal on Sept. 22 and defensive lineman Myles Tapusoa followed suit eight days later.