Noah Fifita is 33rd in the CBS Sports "College Football QB Power Rankings: Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar top expanded preseason list of 50 signal callers" published on Wednesday. The CBS Sports ranking is consistent with Fifita being ranked 36th in the Athlon Sports list of all 136 Football Bowl Subdivision QBs.
Fifita enters the 2025 season playing under his fourth play caller and third offensive coordinator in as many seasons as the Arizona starting QB. New offensive coordinator Seth Doege runs a modern version of the Air Raid offense he played under Mike Leach at Texas Tech.
Fifita is one of the most experienced QBs nationally with 27 appearances and 21 starts over three seasons with Arizona. After a celebrated 2023 season when Fifita was the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and Arizona was 7-2 in his starts, the Wildcats regressed to 4-8 in 2024.
Arizona began the 2024 season ranked 21st in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll. After starting 3-1, Arizona lost seven of its last eight games. If Arizona is going to have success in 2025, Fifita needs a redemptive season.
"33. Noah Fifita, ArizonaDavid Cobb, CBS Sports
Fifita's productivity took a hit in 2024 amid Arizona's coaching transition. While he lost top target Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona added some solid pass-catching options through the portal who should give Fifita a crack at surpassing 3,000 yards passing for the first time during his third season as the Wildcats' starter."
Transfer wide receivers Kris Hutson from Washington State and Luke Wysong from New Mexico are projected to give Arizona more depth and options in its receiving corps than it had in 2025 beyond Tetairoa McMillian. Doege is highly regarded and expected to help Arizona improve offensively.
Arizona needs a more efficient season from Fifita. Fifita often forced the ball to McMillan in 2024 without many other receiving options. Arizona should have an improved rushing offense, which would take a lot of pressure off of Fifita. Fifita is on the Maxwell and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards preseason watch lists.