Arizona’s Cooper Blomstrom showing versatility in move to linebacker

Arizona’s football defense is preparing to give Tucson fans a more flexible look this season, and Cooper Blomstrom is central to that plan. The senior linebacker arrived from Georgetown as a proven edge rusher, but Arizona is teaching him to operate from different spots, including off the ball and in pass coverage. That development could put the 6 foot 2, 243 pound transfer in position to start alongside Chase Kennedy and Taye Brown when the Wildcats open against Northern Arizona.

Blomstrom’s path to Tucson is unusual. He grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, where skiing and hiking were part of his life, and he has climbed about a dozen 4,000 foot mountains across New England. At St. Paul’s School in Concord, he became a four year starter and team captain, finishing with 323 tackles, 24 sacks and 56 tackles for loss. His performance led to an opportunity at Georgetown, an FCS program in Washington, D.C., before he entered the transfer portal and joined Arizona earlier this year.

At Georgetown, Blomstrom played 31 games across three seasons and built a reputation as a disruptive pass rusher. He recorded 117 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. His final two seasons included a combined 15 sacks. Another account of his 2024 Georgetown season lists 56 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, helping explain why Arizona viewed him as one of the top defensive additions available from the FCS level.

The Wildcats were active across the transfer portal after a nine win season, bringing in 23 players while 18 departed. The defensive overhaul included former USC linebacker Matai Tagoa’i, Memphis transfer Everett Roussaw Jr. and 10 defensive backs, along with Blomstrom as the only new edge rusher. Arizona also lost eight defensive backs and three interior defensive linemen, making added versatility especially valuable as the coaching staff reshapes the unit.

Arizona linebackers coach Josh Bringuel said Blomstrom’s previous success came almost entirely from rushing off the edge. Roussaw described him as a dominant edge player who is unselfish and reliable within the defense. Yet the Wildcats are not asking Blomstrom to abandon the skills that attracted them in the first place. His strength, physical play and ability to pressure quarterbacks remain important tools, even as he learns to read the field from a linebacker alignment.

That approach fits defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ system, which frequently uses a 3 3 5 alignment or a package with four linebackers. Arizona began making similar conversions last season, moving Chase Kennedy from edge rusher to linebacker while using former Montana edge player Riley Wilson in a meaningful role. Gonzales said Blomstrom is more technically advanced than Wilson was at the same point last year, and the progress of Blomstrom and Roussaw has expanded the number of disguises Arizona can use before the snap.

One example is the team’s “Red rover” package, in which four linebackers line up together while holding hands before the play. One or two can rush, while the others drop into coverage, leaving the offense uncertain about where pressure will come from. The package previously produced a pick six by Jabari Mann against Baylor. Blomstrom said he first noticed it while watching the SMU game with his family and appreciated how the unusual formation forces opposing offenses to spend more time identifying the defense.

The transition has required Blomstrom to learn Gonzales’ calls, coverage responsibilities and disguised blitzes, which he said initially felt overwhelming. By fall camp, however, he said greater familiarity with the playbook allowed him to play faster and with less hesitation. Bringuel called him Arizona’s most improved linebacker since the spring, when he was still thinking through assignments. Gonzales said players making the move must understand where plays are headed, use leverage against much larger offensive linemen and make sound choices, or risk losing their roles.

For Tucson, Blomstrom’s development offers Arizona another way to create matchup problems without substituting personnel. Gonzales said the transfer’s pass rushing and improving coverage ability give the Wildcats an advantage in certain packages. Blomstrom said learning the off ball portion of defense has made him a more complete football player, since playing strictly on the line could make his responsibilities one dimensional. As Arizona continues incorporating its large transfer class, the New Hampshire native’s ability to rush, cover and move around the formation may become one of the defense’s most useful new features.