It was only a season ago when Noah Fifita was fighting for the starting spot at Arizona.
Instead of complaining and exiting the transfer portal, the then-redshirt freshman responded in an ideal manner and won the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award when called upon.
He faces a lot of changes this season as he will be playing for a new coach and in a new league after the Wildcats join the Big 12.
Can he manage over 2,800 yards and 25 touchdowns again?
Arizona is banking on this because they expect Fifita to have another incredible year so they can live up to the expectations many had of them in the preseason.
If he doesn’t do that, the year will be very different than expected for the Wildcats.
As an outside candidate for the Heisman Award, Fifita will face more pressure than ever before. With stars on both sides of the football, this is likely his best chance to make the College Football Playoff and win the Big 12 before some of those players pursue their NFL careers.
Still, many in the college football community are highly impressed with him.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke to college coaches about the best quarterbacks in the country, including Fifita.
A Big 12 defensive coordinator praised him and talked about his versatility on the field.
“I don’t think Noah Fifita is a big-time (quarterback) who throws darts all over the field, but because he can run and because he’s competitive, he’s really successful,” he said.
Another Big 12 DC wasn’t quite ready to heap praise on him, but pointed to Fifita’s competitive attitude as having benefited the Wildcats star at this level.
“I’m not going to say he’s elite, but he’s a real fighter,” he said. “They love him coming out of the pocket to give him routes that he can find. He’s a really good decision maker and he knows when to go for it.”
Fifita was very efficient in 2023, ranking 10th nationally in pass efficiency and setting a season record for Arizona’s completion rate at 72.4 percent.
After starting just nine games last year, he should be able to put together a season of over 3,300 yards, if not more.
With Brent Brennan as head coach, things may be different, but with Tetairoa McMillan and other wide receivers ready to take the next step, Fifita has a lot of ingredients to have the best season of his career.
The Big 12 has never been known for its quality defensive teams, and if that continues, Arizona’s offense should put up historic numbers.
