In response to this question from @hmuir I decided to have a rundown of some of the "forgotten" players on Arizona's roster who have not been able to see the field much for one reason or another. Some have certainly played more than others, such as Congel, but there are certainly a number of players who simply have not been able to get off the ground with their careers.
Here's my take on the players named above and some others I picked that I think fit into this group.
OL David Watson (RS Sophomore)
- The Tucson local offensive lineman has not been able to get his career off the ground at this stage with injuries playing a part in that. He redshirted in 2018 and missed last season because of injury, but he was back on the field during the brief four-practice spring schedule in March. He should be in position to contribute this year and will likely be part of the offensive line rotation for Kyle DeVan.
DE/LB Eddie Siaumau-Sanitoa (RS Freshman)
- The former high school safety has had some issues finding a place to fit at Arizona. He has some unique size for his skill set and it has not been easy to find him the right position. He played in one game last season against Northern Arizona, but ultimately the team decided to redshirt him although he did suit up throughout the year. He is going to have to work for time as a defensive end as that is where the staff had him during spring ball. He has value as a defensive player but it is going to be difficult for him to see regular time once again this year since he is still learning the position.
S Rhedi Short (RS Junior)
- So far the former high three-star recruit has not been able to get on the field during his career with the Wildcats. It's a bit surprising considering he was once committed to UCLA and chose UA over offers from Oregon and Penn State among others. However, he just hasn't quite been able to make enough noise to see action up to this point. Most of that is because there have been so many safeties on the roster that are ahead of him on the depth chart. That won't be the case this year so he will have his best chance to get in a game in 2020. What he does with that time is anyone's guess, however. He simply hasn't shown that he can be as effective as the players that have been in front of him up to this point.
DE Jalen Cochran (RS Senior)
- The story of Jalen Cochran is a story of injuries. He simply has not been able to stay healthy, which is unfortunate because there might be a player in recent memory who looks the part more than the Michigan native. Cochran has the size to be an effective defensive lineman, but he's had some major injuries throughout his career that have been difficult to come back from. He has only played in five games in his career and he is going to have to battle again for playing time this year, if he can stay healthy, since there is better depth up front for new defensive line coach Stan Eggen. He spent quite a bit of the week during spring practice with the training staff working off to the side so he certainly has an uphill battle to get on the field.
OL Robert Congel (RS Junior)
- The Texas A&M transfer is not someone I would personally have on this list considering he played the fifth-most snaps of any offensive player last season, but since he was specifically asked about I will include him. Congel, of course, had to sit out after his transfer to the chagrin of Arizona's coaches but he was able to watch and continue to develop away from the field that season. Last year he had to work his way into playing time after Josh McCauley established himself as the starting center and proved to be an ironman for the team. Congel played in 10 games and was effective for the Wildcats making eight starts. He played both left guard and center for UA during the 2019 season and will be in position to remain a starter at guard this year.
DT Nahe Sulunga (RS Sophomore)
- The California native is another player, like Siaumau-Sanitoa, who has had to deal with a learning curve a bit but also has unique size for his position. The Wildcats have moved the former Calabasas High standout defensive end at defensive tackle to take advantage of his skill set, but he does not yet have defensive tackle size. He's listed at 275 pounds, but that might be a little bit gracious as he is certainly much thinner than a lot of the other players on the interior of the defensive line. He played in three games a freshman but did not get on the field last year. If he can add some more bulk he should have a better chance to get on the field this season but it is going to take some work.
DE/LB Issaiah Johnson (RS Sophomore)
- The California native is someone who came into his college career as a bit of a tweener. He played middle linebacker in high school but when I watched him I thought his best skills were present when he was used as a pass rusher. The change to the 3-4 defense should help him find a better fit as an outside linebacker behind Jalen Harris where he will have a chance to do a little bit of everything. Up to this point he has not had a chance to see the field in his career. He missed spring ball as he was one of the players on an overseas trip before practice was canceled.
DE/LB Kwabena Watson (RS Freshman)
- Another player who is going to be in the same conversation as a backup to Harris is the versatile pass rusher from Fresno, California. Watson came into his career with the Wildcats as one of the newcomers expected to be able to contribute but that just didn't materialize in the 2019 season. As someone who had a ton of tackles for loss and 21 sacks throughout his high school career, Watson's best skills are as a pass rusher. As Arizona moves to the 3-4 defense he should have more opportunities to see the field and the scheme is a bit of a better fit for him now. He should be in the mix to see quite a bit of action in the 2020 season.
Slot Jaden Mitchell (RS Freshman)
- The Las Vegas native who had to sit out a year before arriving to Arizona coming off a serious knee injury was finally able to get to Tucson last year to begin his career. Inside receivers coach Theron Aych raved about him but once he became a bit banged up late in camp it was clear his path was going to be as a redshirt player in 2019 despite how much he shined ahead of the injury. He performed well during the four practices this spring and certainly has value, but there is more depth at the receiver spots now and he will have to battle for playing time now more than he had to last season.
