The sun was shining down on Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center, and although the near 100-degree weather was sweltering, the energy was turned all the way up for the Arizona Wildcats football team’s practice.
Head coach Brent Brennan is in his third year at Arizona and is looking to lead the Wildcats to a second consecutive winning season for the first time in over a decade. The last time Arizona strung together consecutive winning seasons was when it had four under Rich Rodriguez from 2012 to 2015.
Arizona will take on the NAU Lumberjacks in its first game of 2026 on Sept. 5.
With many newcomers, the Wildcats will look to their veterans to help lead the way through the rest of fall camp.
Quarterback Noah Fifita, who is in his final year as the leader of the offense, has seen it all during his tenure at Arizona, from monumental wins to heartbreaking losses. He was around when Arizona won the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma in 2023 and when it suffered an abysmal 4-8 season the following year.
After going 9-4 last season while throwing a career-best 3,229 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only six interceptions, Fifita is more than prepared to lead the Wildcats to yet another impressive season.
His team is making sure he gets the recognition they feel he deserves.
It will be the final year that Fifita takes the field at Casino Del Sol Stadium in front of a loyal crowd that has seen him grow into the elite-caliber player that he is today. It is a bittersweet feeling for the senior, but he is putting those feelings aside to prepare for the upcoming season.
“It was a blessing to be able to get out there,” Fifita said after a recent practice. “Definitely trying to enjoy it a little more. This year’s been going by super fast, but being able to be at that fall camp practice and my mom was there, my fiancé was there, and also my little brother running around too. It was awesome to be there and we got a lot of work to do to get where we want to be.”
Defensive end Tre Smith is one of the leaders of the defense. After gaining a sixth year of eligibility, Smith is hoping to prove why he belongs in the conversation of players to watch in the Big 12. His hard work and dedication to the program prompted his nickname ‘Mr. Redline.’
“That’s a blessing because some people have nicknames that people call them in their lives and their families and it goes into the locker room, but something like that you don’t really just give yourself,” Smith said. “I just do my best to be the best individual I can, knowing that that will help raise the collective as well.”
Since joining Arizona three seasons ago after transferring from San Jose State when Brennan was hired, Smith has become a household name on the defense, using a combination of strength and speed to pressure the quarterback and set the edge to stop the run. A rotator cuff injury suffered in the third game of 2025 cut his season short, but much like Treydan Stukes, he was granted an extra year.
“Stukes is somebody that I definitely look up to and he just handled everything like a pro,” Smith said. “On top of that, just his mindset, who he is as a human off the field as well as on the field and then seeing him go into a different mode when he steps in between the lines, that’s something I think about and would like to continue as my own success.”
Smith shared the same sentiment as Fifita regarding returning to practice, and he reflected on all the work he has put in.
“We’ve had very different journeys, obviously, but it’s been a blessing nonetheless,” Smith said. “Everything you’ve been through molds you into who you are and shapes your character. So, it’s a bittersweet feeling, but it’s great.”
With all of fall practice and an entire season to get through, it will be some time before Fifita dawns the block A for a final time.
In the meantime, he is taking the time to pass on his experience and advise the younger quarterbacks who will be battling to succeed him next year. Fifita is impressed with what he has seen from the quarterback room and had high praise for those competing under him.
“I try to tell them every day is just you’re in competition for sure, but you’re competing with yourself,” Fifita said. “You’re trying to be the best that you can be. You’re trying to control your reps, your opportunities, and at the end of the day, the best player is going to play. And I think they’re all doing a tremendous job in terms of process and in terms of their preparation because I think we are talking at a high level in the quarterback room.
“Watching Sawyer (Anderson) and Luke (Haugo), the way that they’ve grown in spring … they’re playing a lot faster and playing more confident. They’re definitely taking a step in the right direction and it’s been great watching them grow up. And then (freshman) Oscar (Rios), being able to watch him get on the field in pads for the first time today. You see the natural ability he has.”
Smith’s leadership has also been felt by the newcomers on the defensive line and he has been more than up to the task of ensuring they are prepared for what the college level throws at them.
“I’ve been here for going on three years now and I’ve been in college for going on six,” Smith said. “I just do my best to be the best person I can because at the end of the day, you got to start with yourself and just show them the ropes.”
The Wildcats are set to take on the Lumberjacks on Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Casino Del Sol Stadium.
After that, a challenging game awaits them in Provo, Utah, where they will play the BYU Cougars in hopes of avenging a 33-27 overtime loss last year at home.
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