Gunner Maldonado

Position:
Safety
Height:
5-11
Weight:
193
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Chandler, Ariz.
High School:
Chandler
Prev School:
Univ. of Arizona

CAREER HONORS
• 2024 Academic All-Big 12
• 2023 Valero Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP

CAREER: Ended the 2024 season tied for 15th nationally among active players with six career forced fumbles.

2024 AT UNIV. OF ARIZONA: Started each of the first four games before an injury ended his season... Totaled 11 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception on the year... Had a season-high tying four tackles against New Mexico and Kansas State, the latter of which he recorded a tackle for loss... Picked off a pass at Utah in addition to tallying two tackles... Earned Academic All-Big 12 honors.

2023 AT UNIV. OF ARIZONA: Appeared in all 13 games with 12 starts, recording 81 tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions, three total passes defended, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries... Had a career-high tying 10 tackles against both Oregon State and Arizona State... His interceptions came in the final two games of the year against Arizona State and Oklahoma, the latter being in the Alamo Bowl... Also had two fumble recoveries – including one he returned 87 yards for a touchdown – and nine tackles against the Sooners as he earned Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP honors... Had nine tackles at Stanford – including a tackle for loss – eight apiece against Washington State and Utah and seven against UCLA... Forced and recovered a fumble against UTEP.

2022 AT UNIV. OF ARIZONA: Saw action in 11 games with nine starts, carding 48 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and three forced fumbles... Had a season-high nine tackles at Utah and against Washington State, the latter of which he set a career high with 1.5 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and broke up a pass... Also had six tackles against Arizona State and five apiece against Mississippi State and UCLA... Forced fumbles against Mississippi State and UCLA.

2021 AT UNIV. OF ARIZONA: Played in 10 games with six starts at safety, tallying 36 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, an interception, three total passes defended and a forced fumble... Opened the year with a season-high eight tackles and a pass breakup against BYU... Also had a pass breakup against Northern Arizona and picked off a pass against UCLA... Carded six tackles at Oregon and five apiece against UCLA and Colorado.

2020 AT NORTHWESTERN UNIV.: Spent the 2020 season at Northwestern, playing in three games as a true freshman... Recorded a tackle against Maryland.

HIGH SCHOOL: Prepped at Chandler High School under head coach Rick Garretson... Viewed as the 39th-best safety in the Class of 2020 by ESPN, while he was rated No. 42 by Rivals and No. 46 by 247Sports, the latter of which ranked him as the 14th-best overall player in the state of Arizona... Earned all-state and all-region honors as a senior when he tallied 43 tackles and seven interceptions... Helped lead the Wolves to four-consecutive state titles... Named a team captain.

PERSONAL: Gunner Maldonado was born June 13, 2001, in Gilbert, Arizona... Son of Mario Maldonado and Brittany Maldonado... Has two siblings, Denim and Rayden.