Arizona transfer safety Gunner Maldonado was on the IU campus this week as the Hoosiers look for replacements on the back end of their defense.
Maldonado’s 2024 campaign was cut short by an injury. He played in four games for the Wildcats this season before he suffered a season-ending leg injury against Texas Tech. That created the opportunity for a redshirt season and a sixth year of college football.
The 6-foot and 194-pound Maldonado was a mainstay in the Arizona defense the three years prior.
He appeared in all 13 games with 12 starts during the 2023 season. Maldonado recorded a career high with 81 tackles (57 solo, 24 assists), finishing 16th in the Pac-12 in tackles. He posted a season-high 10 tackles twice, first against Oregon State and then at Arizona State.
Maldonado highest profile moment came in the 2023 postseason. He made nine tackles, had one interception, and returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown to earn Defensive MVP in the 2023 Alamo Bowl after defeating No. 12 Oklahoma 38-24 to secure a 10-win season for the fourth time in program history.
Maldonado was named one of eight captains of the 2023 Wildcats prior to the season.
In 2022 the Arizona native appeared in 11 games with nine starts at safety. He made a then career-high 48 tackles (26 solo, 22 assists) with two tackles for loss. In 2021 he played in 10 games with six starts at safety.
Maldonado started his career in the Big Ten at Northwestern. He played in three games with the Wildcats in 2020, a season that ultimately did not count from an eligibility standpoint. He’ll have one year of eligibility left at his next stop.
Indiana is losing starting safety Shawn Asbury II following their CFP run, along rover Terry Jones, Jr. and veterans Josh Sanguinetti and Nic Toomer.
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