Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, as announced by the team on Monday. The Maxwell Award honors the best player in college football annually. Fifita enters his third season as a starter hoping to rebound from a dissapointing 2024 season.
Fifita has completed 65.2 percent of his career pass attempts for 5,955 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions in his collegiate career. In 2023, Fifita completed 72.4% for 2,869 yards, 25 TDs, and six interceptions in his first season as a starter.
Fifita completed 60.5 percent of his attempts for 2958 yards, 18 TDs, and 12 interceptions in 2024. Arizona has rebuilt most of its receiving corps with transfers for 2025 after losing Tetairoa McMillan to the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Fifita enters the 2025 season fifth in Arizona history in completions, eighth in attempts, sixth in passing yards and seventh in TD passes. If Fifita returns for the 2026 season, he will have an opportunity to be at the top of all of the above passing categories.
Watchlist season 👀@thenoah_fifita1 grabs a spot on the @MaxwellFootball award watch list as a birthday present 🎁 pic.twitter.com/rM3LS1QUYL
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) July 28, 2025
Fifita is one of 14 players and nine QBs from the Big XII named to the Maxwell Award Watch List. Arizona plays against eight of the Big XII players named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. McMillan was on the Maxwell Award watch list in 2024.
Maxwell Award semifinalists will be announced on November 11. The three Maxwell Award finalists will be announced on November 25, with the winner to be announced on the ESPN College Football Awards Show on December 11.
Former Arizona QB Khalil Tate was the only Wildcat named a Maxwell Award semifinalist in 2018. Tate completed 56.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,530 yards, 26 TDs and eight interceptions and ran for 224 yards and two scores in 2018.