大象APP

FRISCO, Texas 鈥� When Arizona strolled into Ford Center at 鈥淭he Star鈥� for the final session of Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday, there was a different vibe 鈥� and it鈥檚 not because the conference moved media days from Las Vegas to the Dallas area.

There was a different tone with the Wildcats compared to last year.

Arizona is no longer the new kid on the block in the 16-team Big 12, along with Pac-12 transplants in Arizona State, Utah and Colorado.

UA second-year head coach Brent Brennan and Arizona鈥檚 six player representatives 鈥� quarterback Noah Fifita, offensive lineman Rhino Tapa鈥檃toutai, defensive end Tre Smith and defensive backs Treydan Stukes, Genesis Smith and Dalton Johnson 鈥� didn鈥檛 wear leis around their necks like last season.

Instead of Arizona polos and leis created by Tetairoa McMillan鈥檚 grandmother, the UA players had a business look and donned suits. Smith called his all-black suit with Prada shoes and tie clip the

Even though the Big 12 shied away from its preseason media poll, Arizona is widely considered a bottom-half 鈥� maybe a bottom-quarter 鈥� team in the conference.

Last season, Arizona was voted to finish fifth in the Big 12 and even garnered three first-place votes, after Brennan retained the nucleus of the Wildcats鈥� 10-win team that won the Alamo Bowl, including Fifita and McMillan, arguably Arizona鈥檚 best offensive playmaker in school history.

However, the Wildcats concluded the season 14th in the conference. Meanwhile, Arizona State, which was voted to finish last in the Big 12, won the conference and qualified for the College Football Playoff.

Arizona went from a CFP hopeful to a bottom-dweller in its new conference, and after one of the best seasons in UA history, the Wildcats had their worst record since the 1-11 season in 2021.

As a result, Arizona didn鈥檛 garner as much attention at Big 12 Media Days this year compared to last year. Instead of a large contingent of Big 12 reporters around the Wildcats like last year, the UA players and Brennan spoke to less than 10 reporters during a 30-minute breakout session.

At Big 12 Media Days, Brennan said last season 鈥渨as unacceptable for our staff, our program and our university, and we鈥檝e been busy fixing that ever since.鈥�

Among the most pertinent changes, 鈥淚 think it starts with the decision we made with the coaching staff,鈥� Brennan said.

The Wildcats will have three new coordinators this season: up-and-coming offensive play-caller Seth Doege, defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and special teams coordinator Craig Naivar.

鈥淚 think it starts with them,鈥� said Brennan.

The Wildcats also replaced defensive line coach Joe Seumalo with UA legend and 鈥淒esert Swarm鈥� member Joe Salave鈥檃, who is one of the top defensive line coaches in college football, along with tight ends coach and play-caller Matt Adkins with Josh Miller.

Over half of Arizona鈥檚 105-player roster will also be new. The Wildcats are adding 55 scholarship newcomers to their 2025 roster. Brennan said 鈥減robably 75%鈥� of the wide receiver and running back rooms have newcomers.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of change there, but there鈥檚 also a good influx of what we consider high-level talent guys that have played a lot of snaps in college football and have really good experience that I think are going to contribute greatly to what we鈥檙e trying to get done,鈥� Brennan said.

Brennan said Wick 鈥� err, Smith 鈥� has been a consistent high-energy, high-effort player. Following a breakout season last year, Smith will hold a more prominent role in Arizona鈥檚 defense, especially with safety Gunner Maldonado transferring to Kansas State.

Smith explored his options in the transfer portal after last season, but opted to return to Arizona for his third season in Tucson.

鈥淎 lot of fun to coach and made a lot of plays last fall for us and you know he was a guy that the people came hard after in the portal, but he stayed true to Arizona like Fifita did and we feel great about him, too,鈥� Brennan said of Smith. 鈥淪o there鈥檚 a lot of players and people gonna have fun watching this fall.鈥�

In Arizona鈥檚 first season in the Big 12, which was also Brennan鈥檚 first year in Tucson, the UA head coach said last year was 鈥渆ducational.鈥�

鈥淚 would say we learned a lot in our first year at Arizona,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淭he biggest thing maybe I learned is just transition is challenging, transition is hard. There鈥檚 lots of things that I could have done better as a head football coach, as the leader of the program, that I have a better understanding now of what that looks like and exactly which way we鈥檙e going to do it.鈥�

When Arizona returned from the holiday break in January, 鈥渨e started with a really simple, fundamental thought and that was we want guys that want to be at the University of Arizona, that are tough and believe in this program and really, truly want to be here,鈥� Brennan said.

Instead of doing everything possible to keep the team together from the successful 2023 campaign and ride the momentum that Jedd Fisch built, which Brennan had to do last year, the Wildcats started from scratch and retained players that fit Brennan鈥檚 culture and added newcomers recruited by the current regime.

鈥淭he idea that we鈥檙e going to chase guys in and out of the portal every year, we鈥檙e going to be doing all that stuff, I just don鈥檛 think that gives you a chance to build the kind of connected, committed football team we want to build at the U of A,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淭he way we started the season, what did we learn? I learned that transition is tough and the only way to move forward is the people that want to be there, that are totally committed and really connected.鈥�

Something that hasn鈥檛 changed: Fifita鈥檚 leadership of the offense and team. Brennan shouldered the blame for the descension of Fifita, who led the Big 12 in interceptions last season and struggled in Arizona鈥檚 offense under Adkins and offensive coordinator Dino Babers.

鈥淚 think the step back for Noah Fifita is my fault, not his,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do a good enough job running the football, and we didn鈥檛 do a good enough job protecting him. ... We鈥檝e made some moves in the direction of making that better right now. I think when we get to December, everybody in the conference and maybe everybody in America is going to be talking about Noah Fifita.

鈥淲hen you watch how he delivers the football, he鈥檚 one of the cleanest throwers I鈥檝e ever seen and I鈥檓 excited to see what he鈥檚 going to do in Seth Doege鈥檚 offense. This is a perfect fit for him and it鈥檚 his time to shine. ... T-Mac鈥檚 going to crush it in the NFL. We put enough wideouts in that room. We put enough skill positions around him in an offensive front. You鈥檙e going to love what you see from Noah.鈥�

Along with 鈥淔ifita being a year older, a year more mature鈥� and 鈥渢he consistency of our coaching staff,鈥� Brennan is confident that the Wildcats will exceed expectations this season.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a lot cleaner right now than it was a year ago,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic about how this season鈥檚 going to go.鈥�