Just three more days of fall camp remain and the Arizona Wildcats look to be fully prepared for what the 2026 season throws at them, practicing with tenacity and discipline, symbolizing the Redline mantra that head coach Brent Brennan constantly speaks of.
Arizona is set to take on the NAU Lumberjacks on Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Casino Del Sol Stadium, and from the looks of it, the Wildcats are looking to start the season off with a statement win before moving on to what will be a tough game against the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, the following week.
postcards from camp pic.twitter.com/vLVgaarwu8
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) August 25, 2026
While Monday felt more like a tune-up practice than an all-out physical session, there were still plenty of highlights, from dazzling catches to defensive plays that would make any fan jump out of their seat, not to mention a couple of impressive special teams plays at the end.
Wide receiving corps looks dangerous
It is no surprise to many that quarterback Noah Fifita is poised for yet another highly productive year to cap off his career with the Wildcats.
He has a crew of receivers who are looking to help him out along the way. Sophomores Isaiah Mizell and Gio Richardson, in particular, were stellar on Monday.
Richardson mostly lined up in the slot position and caught multiple passes in the middle of the field. Mizell, utilizing his speed and explosiveness, beat the coverage and found himself wide open downfield. Fifita connected with him for what would have been an easy touchdown in a game.
Fifita’s backup has been determined per offensive coordinator Seth Doege. It’s second-year player Sawyer Anderson.
Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege named Sawyer Anderson the backup quarterback behind Noah Fifita.
“What separated him was the explosive plays. … If we were to play with Sawyer Anderson, we’d be in a good spot to win a Big 12 football game.”
(Via Arizona Athletics) pic.twitter.com/Zo0kEiBkFH
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) August 25, 2026
Defensive backs making plays
Although the wide receiving corps and offense as a whole have looked impressive, the secondary of Danny Gonzales‘ defense made a few big plays themselves.
Charlotte transfer Dwight Bootle disrupted a couple of passes during the 11-on-11 portion of practice. Bootle has been impressive all fall camp and has been taking plenty of reps in a secondary looking to build off of last year, when Arizona ended as the No. 1 defense in the FBS against the pass.
Looks like Arizona cornerback Dwight Bootle II has signed a deal with Gladiator Custom Mouthguards.
(: @BootleII & @GladiatorGuards // Instagram) pic.twitter.com/MuR3fXbwt8
— AZ Band Cat Sports (@AZBandCatSports) August 25, 2026
Michal Salgado-Medina ends the practice with two huge kicks
Salgado-Medina was shaky on field goals last season, going 19-for-31 in 13 games as the placekicker. The junior out of Mission Viejo, Calif., displayed accuracy from long range, making 3-of-5 field goals from 50 to 59 yards. This year could be the one where he could be more accurate and his work on the practice field has shown that.
At the very end of practice, Salgado-Medina lined up to kick two field goals from 40 yards out. While the second fell right down the middle of the goalposts, the first had enough distance, but the height made it difficult to tell whether or not it was made. Clearly, however, Salgado-Medina’s leg power is not lacking.
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