Arizona Wildcats 2026 Season Preview

Noah Fifita returns as the reigning first-team All-Big 12 quarterback, the first Arizona passer to earn first-team all-conference honors in roughly 50 years. He threw for 3,228 yards and a school-record 29 touchdowns in 2025 while completing better than 64 percent of his throws and slashing his interceptions from 12 down to six. Already the owner of the career touchdown record, he is on pace to become the school's all-time passing leader midway through the fall. This is his second season in Doege's system, and the comfort level is evident in a scheme that jumped from 14th in the Big 12 in total offense to fifth. His off-schedule playmaking rates among the best in the country, and the offense hums when the pocket breaks down. Depth behind him is unproven, with a group of young arms competing for the backup job.

The room lost star Tetairoa McMillan to the NFL but returns a deep, productive group. Tre Spivey III is the headliner after averaging better than 16 yards a catch with seven touchdowns, and Chris Hunter and Giovanni Richardson complete a trio that combined for more than 1,050 receiving yards. Doege reinforced the corps through the portal with Rodney Gallagher III (West Virginia), DJ Jordan (USC) and Jordan Ross (Colorado State). At tight end, Illinois transfer Cole Rusk and returning veteran Tyler Powell lead a reworked group stocked with newcomers.

Kedrick Reescano is back after nine touchdowns and 396 yards, with Quincy Craig returning and Marshall transfer Antwan Roberts, a 512-yard rusher last fall, adding a downhill complement.

The line got a major lift when veteran tackle Tristan Bounds, who owns 61 career starts, was granted a medical redshirt. Right guard Alexander Doost anchors the interior with 22 consecutive starts, Rhino Tapa'atoutai returns at left guard, and Washington transfer Zach Henning steps in at center. The unit lost three starters again but reloaded through the portal, keeping the group roughly on par with a year ago.

Arizona again leans on a by-committee front, adding junior-college size to a rotation that will play 10 or more. Edge Tre Smith is the centerpiece, back for a sixth college season after a medical redshirt following October shoulder surgery, with 60 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss over his last two years. Nose tackle Leroy Palu returns inside off a 28-tackle season, and sophomore Mays Pese pushes for a larger role after flashing as a true freshman.

Chase Kennedy, a disruptive presence with eight tackles for loss, anchors the second level alongside Taye Brown, the team's second-leading tackler a year ago with 93 stops and 8.5 for loss. Transfers Cooper Blomstrom (Georgetown) and Everett Roussaw Jr. (Memphis) bring starter production, giving Gonzales a deep, experienced group.

The secondary is the defense's biggest question after losing NFL picks Dalton Johnson, Genesis Smith and Treydan Stukes, who together started 86 games and logged thousands of snaps. Jay'Vion Cole is one of only two returning defenders with multiple career starts at the school, a third-team All-Big 12 corner who piled up 23 tackles and eight pass breakups. Safety Gavin Hunter is the other holdover. Brennan signed eight defensive backs in the portal to reload, headlined by Nebraska transfer Malcolm Hartzog Jr., who started 32 games and intercepted eight passes for the Cornhuskers and profiles as a plug-and-play nickel.

Kicker Michael Salgado-Medina keeps his job despite a shaky 19-for-31 season on field goals, the most misses in decades, though snapping issues were a factor and he showed real range with a 57-yarder against Oklahoma State. Australian freshman Chase Ridley is in line to punt, with competition open at long snapper and in the return game.