Arizona's Akpa Making Huge Strides Ahead of Summer Practice

Arizona Wildcats offensive tackle Louis Akpa has had a tremendous offseason, elevating his size, strength, and technique after a season in which he saw limited action and redshirted.

The former 3-star recruit out of San Junipero High School in South San Francisco, CA, Akpa committed to Arizona on October 30, 2024, and that might turn out to be the best decision he could have made for his development as an offensive tackle.

According to his coaches, Akpa has become one of the most improved players on the team since last year, when he struggled in practice and often got beaten in one-on-one matchups. Rather than quitting his team or transferring elsewhere, Akpa stayed with it and earned the attention he received during spring practice.

With the absence of Tristan Bounds over the spring portion of training camp. Akpa had the chance to compete with Nate Hale and Matthew Lado for key offensive reps. How exactly did Akpa increase his level of play? Let's take a look at how he improved from last season.

Akpa's Size and Strength Heavily Increases Through Offseason

In his first year with the Wildcats, Akpa weighed in at 280 pounds to go along with his 6-foot-11 wingspan. His weight and strength gave him trouble against many of Arizona's top defensive linemen in practice, and oftentimes, they got the best of him in practice.

Fast forward to spring practice, and he now weighs 300 pounds and has made significant improvements in his strength. Because of his gain in weight and strength, he is now going toe to toe against opposing linemen and winning those battles.

"At the end of last year, he was so light that he would just get bull rushed back into the quarterback's spot at a high percentage," offensive coordinator Serth Doege said. "It was really hard for him to truly protect."

"There were times where he looked really good because he is so athletic and so explosive, but then you go through the winter off-season, he's now at 300 pounds, but he's still lacking a little bit of strength in my opinion. Now he's gotten stronger, but he's got to get stronger to truly play at this level and consistently do what we're asking him to do."

Akpa's Improvements Land Him in High-Level Competition

With long arms, a tall frame, and the improvement in weight and strength, Akpa has truly become an offensive tackle who can prove that he belongs with the best of them on the team and in the Big 12. With Bounds limited in spring practices, Akpa and Hale have been competing to see who is a better fit to perhaps become a starter.

Now that summer practices are beginning soon and Bounds will be back to full health, it will be interesting to see who will be at left tackle. Throw Lado into the mix, and there is a full-blown competition there.

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