Noah Fifita sees Arizona football reaching never-before-seen heights this season, including a seat at the table in the 2026 College Football Playoff.
Move over Tommy Lloyd, Fifita is putting it out there that the Wildcats want it all next fall. Arizona improved with a 9-4 record last season, extended head coach Brent Brennan through 2030, and returns deep units on both ends, including sixth-year defensive end Tre Smith to chase down the program’s first-ever Big 12 title.
A conference title run is basically a prerequisite for punching Arizona’s ticket to the CFP, and Fifita is poised to make an honest attempt after putting up a career-high 3,228 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions in his fourth season as a Wildcat. Fifita told Pete Nakos of On3 that the team is ready to roll.
“My goal is not to be the best player in Arizona history, but to be a part of the best team, and I do believe we have a chance to go do that,” Fifita said. “I do believe we’ll be the first team in Arizona history to go to a conference championship game and to go to a New Year’s Six game.”
That’s a high bar, but not entirely unbelievable when you dig a little deeper.
ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY
Assuming Fifita (9,183 career yards) stays healthy this season, he’ll surpass Nick Foles (10,011 career yards) as the school’s all-time passing leader after already claiming the all-time touchdown passer title.
It’s also Fifita’s second season working with offensive coordinator Seth Doege, so expect things to be sharper, cleaner, and more tuned into his coordinator’s vision for the playbook. The Arizona offense finished third in the Big 12 last season with 31.5 points per game, worse only than Big 12 champion Texas Tech and Utah.
THE FRONT SEVEN
Arizona’s defensive line is arguably the deepest in the conference, with a group including 3,298 combined career snaps between veterans Mays Pese, Dominic Lolesio and Julian Savainnaea. Tre Smith, mentioned above, is at the core of that group with five seasons of experience between Tempe, Arizona, and San Jose State.
The Wildcats finished second in the country in turnover margin with 31 takeaways and holding opponents to just 30.2% on third down.
JUST ONE BYE WEEK
Brennan and the Wildcats were not immune to roster turnover as a result of the transfer portal, but their portal class includes 22 new players, addressing key losses at defensive back and elsewhere.
Not fluid, however, is the upcoming schedule. Arizona receives just one bye between its Oct. 10 road trip to West Virginia and an Oct. 24 home date with Iowa State. That returning stretch includes four possible top-10 opponents with Texas Tech, TCU, Utah, and Kansas State preceding their home finale with Arizona State.
It’s safe to bet on Texas Tech and Utah appearing somewhere in the top 25 by November, and making both of those games in Tucson, it doesn’t make them any less important when talking about a Big 12 title game.
