Fall camp concluded this past Thursday night, leaving just four days between now and the start of the season. Arizona is coming off a 9-4 season capped by an appearance in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, on January 2.
For the first time in head coach Brent Brennan’s short career with the Wildcats, he will be looking to finish with consecutive winning seasons. For the program, it will be the first time in a little over a decade since the Wildcats had consecutive winning seasons. The last time was when Rich Rodriguez was at the helm.
“I think our coaching staff has done a great job pushing and demanding and driving what we’re looking for in terms of Redline in the practice environment,” Brennan said. “Now we’ve got to clean some things up in the next week and get ready to play and that’s the exciting thing is that it’s finally here. What we’ve been working for, waiting for the last nine months, is finally here.”
Brennan has the exact weapons to pull off the accolade: a Heisman-caliber quarterback, returning offensive and defensive coordinators passionate about the Wildcats, a crew of speedy, high-octane wide receivers, and the right pieces to replace five defensive backs who are now in the NFL.
Senior quarterback Noah Fifita is one of those key pieces needed for Arizona to see another successful year in the Big 12. He also has the chance to become the Wildcats’ best quarterback in history, according to statistics. During the 2025 season, he became the program’s all-time leading quarterback in touchdown passes, surpassing both Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama against Cincinnati after throwing his 68th in that win.
Now, Fifita has the opportunity to become Arizona’s leading passing-yards record holder. Foles currently holds that record with 10,011. Fifita has just 828 yards to go before he can once again be entered into Arizona’s history books.
Arizona may have lost proven weapons like Kris Hutson, Javin Whatley, and Luke Wysong, but they made up for it by recruiting freshmen RJ Mosley and Caleb “Jet” Smith, two players who have gotten a ton of hype from their peers.
Arizona also has an outstanding cast of returners. Redshirt senior Chris Hunter and redshirt junior Tre Spivey could potentially lead the group as upperclassmen. Spivey in particular had an impressive 2025 season where he scored seven touchdowns on 23 receptions. He could use that momentum for another breakthrough year.
The Wildcats have brought in Rodney Gallagher III (West Virginia), DJ Jordan (USC) and Jordan Ross (Colorado State) from the transfer portal to further bolster the wide receiving corps. Arizona not only has depth at the position but also a group of hungry receivers determined to prove the Wildcats have the most dangerous passing game in the Big 12.
“We’re really excited about the progress those guys are making and it’s fun,” Brennan said. “It’s fun to see some guys mature and develop and start to make plays in practice and have play with a level of consistency that gets us excited. But it’s also fun to see some of the new players and some of the young players also make plays in the practice environment. So, that thing’s going to continue to be hyper-competitive as we go through the season.”
Replacing five defensive backs who have moved on to the next level is no easy feat, but Brennan and his coaching staff have done just that with the number of players who have been brought in, paired with an ensemble of veterans ready to shut down the throwing game of any opposing team.
“We got guys,” Fifita said. “For anybody who was concerned about losing five DBs to the draft, we reloaded in that area. They gave us some problems this fall camp and that’s saying a lot because I think our receiver room, when you talk about depth, I think we could go up against anybody in the country.”
Sophomore safety Gavin Hunter was impressive when he filled in for Treydan Stukes at the start of the season and has earned his way to a starting role, alongside redshirt sophomore Quinn Olson after a much improved fall camp. Redshirt senior cornerback Jay’Vion Cole has consistently been praised by his coaches as a defensive back to be feared in the Big 12. Redshirt junior and Charlotte transfer Dwight Bootle II will be opposite of him in this week’s season opener.
Of the Wildcats’ 12 total newcomers, eight came in through the transfer portal, suggesting they are relying on snap counts and experience to build on last year’s success. Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (Nebraska), Matai Tagoa’i (USC), Cam Chapa (Northern Colorado) and Lee Molette III (UConn) have all been turning heads through fall camp. Now that just four days remain until the start of the 2026 season, all that is left is to show their work on the field.
Arizona’s defensive backs definitely have a microscope placed on them, but for now, it has shown that it is a ferocious group that is willing to compete against any team’s offense.
Arizona will be taking on its in-state rivals, the NAU Lumberjacks, this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Lumberjacks are coming off a stellar 34-27 win in a Week 0 matchup with Eastern Washington, where they came back from a 24-7 deficit.
Recommended for you
