大象APP

Leading up to training camp, the Star is providing a position-by-position preview. Up first: quarterbacks.

Position coach: Seth Doege, Lyle Moevao

Returners: Noah Fifita (R-Jr.), Mason Bray (R-Fr.)

Departures: Brayden Dorman, Anthony Garcia, Adam Damante

Newcomers: Braedyn Locke (R-Jr.), Sawyer Anderson (Fr.), Luke Haugo (Fr.)

The rundown: For the first time since Fifita was in the seventh grade, he鈥檒l go through a football season without his longtime teammate and best friend Tetairoa McMillan, who is preparing for his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers after a historic career with the Wildcats.

Arizona prioritized speed at wide receiver in the transfer portal and the 2025 recruiting class, and 鈥渢he personnel and the staff that (head coach Brent Brennan has) brought in, he鈥檚 done a great job from the portal to the coaching staff and the coordinator hires,鈥� Fifita said.

Although the Wildcats will be without one of the program鈥檚 all-time offensive weapons in McMillan, Brennan said of Fifita, 鈥淲ith the pieces that we鈥檝e been able to put around him, he鈥檚 got comfort with knowing he can distribute the ball evenly all over the field.鈥�

However, the new offensive play-caller could be the reason Fifita emerges as one of the top passers in the quarterback-riddled Big 12, which has nine teams that return quarterbacks who threw for 2,400 yards or more last season 鈥� nearly twice as many as any other Power 4 conference.

First-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Seth Doege 鈥� one of several coaching changes for Arizona in the offseason 鈥� takes over an offense that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in nearly every offensive category except for passing.

In Doege鈥檚 lone season at Marshall last year, the Thundering Herd had the fourth-best scoring offense in the Sun Belt despite having the third-worst passing offense. Marshall was fifth in the conference in offensive efficiency and fourth in red-zone offense.

Even though Doege hails from an air-raid background, Marshall had more rushing yards than passing yards last season because Doege tailored an offense to maximize the personnel, which is a stark contrast to last season under former play-callers Dino Babers and Matt Adkins.

A year after Fifita became the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Football Writers Association of America Freshman of the Year under former head coach Jedd Fisch鈥檚 offensive system in 2023, Fifita鈥檚 touchdown-to-interception ratio dropped from 23:5 to 18:12 last season.

Fifita also led the Big 12 in interceptions and had the most throwaway passes in college football. His time-to-throw average rose from 2.55 seconds to 3.14 in the last two seasons.

鈥淚 think the step back for Noah Fifita is my fault, not his,鈥� Brennan said at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, earlier this month.

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,鈥� Brennan added. 鈥淲e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�

As a result of Fifita鈥檚 step-back season, coupled with Arizona鈥檚 4-8 record after entering the year with Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff aspirations, the quarterback 鈥� and the Wildcats 鈥� are flying under the radar in terms of preseason recognition.

鈥淚鈥檓 keeping receipts for him,鈥� Doege said. 鈥淓very list that I see, he鈥檚 not on,鈥� said Arizona鈥檚 offensive coordinator. 鈥淭op 10 quarterbacks in the country, not on. Top Big 12 quarterbacks in the league, not on. Top 30 quarterbacks in the country, he鈥檚 not on. I鈥檓 keeping those receipts, because he鈥檚 about to shock the world.鈥�

At Big 12 Media Days, Fifita said the Wildcats 鈥渄on鈥檛 shy away from last year.鈥�

鈥淲e know what we said was going to happen and obviously we鈥檙e light years away from what we said,鈥� said Arizona鈥檚 quarterback. 鈥淕od doesn鈥檛 make mistakes, so we learn from it, we grow from it and we鈥檙e excited at what the future holds. ... There鈥檚 definitely a chip on our shoulder now and we鈥檙e kind of back to that underdog mentality that we have, and to be honest, that鈥檚 where a lot of us are more comfortable at, so we look forward to the work.

鈥淎 lot of the world doesn鈥檛 believe in what we can do, but the people in our building do, and that鈥檚 what really matters.鈥�

Pairing up with Doege could ignite an Arizona offense that only averaged 21.8 points per game last season, which includes a 61-point performance in the season opener. Doege is 鈥渙ne of a kind in so many ways and the best offensive mind I鈥檝e been around,鈥� Fifita said.

鈥淔rom a mentality standpoint, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever seen a coach, outside of my dad, that has the mindset and the belief that he has,鈥� Fifita said of Doege. 鈥淭hat has definitely trickled down to the players, and that鈥檚 why we walk around with the confidence that we could be the best offense in the country.鈥�

Doege said Fifita, who changed his jersey number from 11 to 1, is the 鈥渦ltimate quarterback鈥� and 鈥渉e鈥檚 5-9, but he plays 6-5.鈥�

鈥淗e plays 6-5 because he has a warrior鈥檚 mentality, he鈥檚 got a humble and selfless personality, and he鈥檚 got the biggest heart I鈥檝e ever met,鈥� Doege said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 break this dude, and he loves everyone on his team. You add that to the fact that he鈥檚 probably one of the more natural throwers I鈥檝e ever been around, and is extremely accurate and can process any type of information you give him.

鈥淥n top of that, he might be (one of the) hardest workers I鈥檝e been around in a film-room setting. His notes are elite, color-coded and the penmanship is on point. Everything you say, he鈥檚 writing down. He鈥檚 going to check you on it. If there鈥檚 a point that I forget or kind of breeze over, he鈥檚 going to check me on it.鈥�

Under Doege鈥檚 tutelage, Arizona鈥檚 offense will implement a no-huddle, fast-paced brand and get the ball out of Fifita鈥檚 hands in a quicker manner.

鈥淭he standard could be faster,鈥� Doege said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to push it to extreme limits. If we can and we can execute it, then I think we can be really dangerous. Beating defenses to lining up, them not being able to sub and late in the game, their lung capacity isn鈥檛 the same as ours because that鈥檚 what we do every day.鈥�

The burning question for Arizona鈥檚 quarterbacks entering this season: Who is QB2?

The most experienced option is Wisconsin transfer Braedyn Locke, who passed for 2,713 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in two seasons at Wisconsin.

Others in the mix include Gilbert native and Higley product Luke Haugo and Dallas-area native Sawyer Anderson, whose 14,674 yards at Parish Episcopal High School is tops in Dallas-Fort Worth history; he also had 158 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in his high school career.

Locke鈥檚 collegiate experience gives him a head start as Arizona鈥檚 backup quarterback this season.