Tre Spivey’s production last season made him one of the most reliable scorers on the Arizona football team. Now, entering the new year, he is trying to turn that success into something bigger: a more complete leadership role for UofA football.
Spivey finished last season with seven touchdown receptions, 23 receptions, 381 receiving yards and one rushing touchdown. The scoring numbers stood out, but his focus this offseason has been on more than just making plays in the end zone.
A bigger role beyond scoring
Spivey said the offseason work has helped him feel more confident, but he also made it clear that his goal is to impact the team in more ways. That has meant paying closer attention to the details of his game and looking for the areas where he can help Arizona most.
“So just focusing on the whole game so I can help the team out,” Spivey said. “That’s the one thing I’ve been focused on this year, is trying to figure out what I can work on for myself that can impact the team in the best way possible.”
That approach fits the standard Brent Brennan has described under Redline, where effort and consistency matter every day. Brennan said one of the things he likes most about Spivey is how hard he competes in practice, even when he is not at full strength.
“One of my favorite things about Tre is he’s an incredible practice player,” Brennan said. “He really goes hard, and it doesn’t matter if he’s feeling a little under the weather or whatever, he likes to compete, and that part of it is a lot of fun.”
Work with Noah Fifita matters
Spivey also pointed to the receiving room around him and the repetition he has built with Noah Fifita as important parts of his development. That chemistry is especially valuable for an Arizona offense that shares the ball and needs trust built over time.
“The past few years that I’ve been at Arizona, I’ve been super blessed to have been in a receiving room that genuinely has players that want to do the best with each other,” Spivey said. “I think that’s the treasure that comes from the amount of repetition, the amount of work we put in with Noah.”
He added that the group has spent extra time outside the normal schedule to keep building that connection.
“We take a lot of extra time out of our day to go practice, walk through stuff with him,” Spivey said.
That extra work appears to be showing up in his overall game. Seth Doege said Spivey has become more consistent in the details that help a receiver stay on the field and make plays.
“He’s gotten to a point where he’s consistently lining up correctly, he’s consistently getting to his depth, he’s consistently winning on routes, he’s consistently going up and attacking the football,” Doege said.
From fan favorite to key piece
Spivey’s path has also included a memorable family moment in July, when the Diamondbacks held UofA Night and he threw out the first pitch to his dad, Junior Spivey, at the stadium of his former team. He called it “the coolest thing ever” and said it felt like a dream come true.
That moment was personal, but the football part of his story is more focused now. Arizona is entering a stretch that carries Big 12 title expectations, and Spivey is one of the players who could help define how far the offense goes.
With 12 conference championship games ahead on the schedule, the Wildcats will need more than highlight plays from Spivey. They will need the same scoring touch, plus the consistency and leadership that come with a larger role.
