Noah Fifita is 10th on the "College Football: The top 10 returning quarterbacks for the 2026 season" named by Pro Football Focus. Fifita had a redemptive season in 2025, leading Arizona to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Holiday Bowl after the Wildcats were 4-8 in 2024.
Fifita completed 64.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,228 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions with 216 rushing yards and another three scores. In 2024, Fifita completed 60.5 percent of his pass attempts for 2,958 yards, 18 TD and 12 interceptions with 17 rushing yards and one TD.
Fifita broke the Arizona career TD pass record and now has 73 entering the 2026 season. Entering 2026, Fifita needs 29 yards to pass Willie Tuitama for second place in Arizona career passing yards and 829 to become the all-time leader, passing Nick Foles.
Fifita also enters 2026 one completion behind Tuitama and 148 behind Foles for the Arizona records. Entering the 2026 season, Fifita is also 66 completions behind Tuitama and 186 behind Foles to tie those standards.
"10. Noah Fifita, ArizonaMax Chadwick, Pro Football Focus
Fifita is back in the top-10 of this list after a relatively down season in 2024. After posting a career-low 73.1 PFF passing grade that year, he followed it up with a career-high 83.3 passing grade that placed 15th nationally. While Fifita lacks ideal size (5-foot-10, 195 pounds), he did an excellent job of pushing the ball downfield without putting it in harm’s way. His 26 big-time throws were tied for 12th in the country, while his 1.9% turnover-worthy play rate was tied for eighth.
The redshirt senior is one of the most experienced players on this list and is now entering his fourth year as Arizona’s starting quarterback."
Fifita is the second-highest-ranked returning QB in the Big XII by PFF. Brendan Sorsby of Texas Tech, who transferred from Cincinnati, is seventh. Big XII coaches and media named Fifita first-team all-conference in 2025. Sorsby was named second-team All-Big XII by the coaches.
Fifita has significantly exceeded his recruiting ranking as the 690th prospect and 38th QB in the 247Sports 2022 composite class rankings. After playing three games and redshirting as a freshman in 2022, Fifita 8became the Arizona starter in the fourth game of the 2023 season.
Starting quarterback Jayden DeLaura was injured in the third game of the 2023 season and Fifita entered in the fourth quarter. Fifita led the eventual game-winning drive and has been the Arizona starting QB since then.
Fifita enters 2026 playing under an offensive coordinator for the second consecutive season. Seth Doege returns as Arizona's offensive coordinator after leading an impressive turnaround in 2026. Arizona was 38th nationally in 2025, averaging 255.2 passing yards per game and 46th with a 143.36 passer rating.
Julian Sayin of Ohio State is first on the PFF list, followed by Dante Moore of Oregon and Arch Manning of Texas is third. Three QBs from the Big 10 and three from the SEC are in the top 10. C.J. Carr from Notre Dame is fifth and Darian Mensah from Miami gives the ACC one top 10 QB.
Arizona is not scheduled to play any of the top 10 QBs. Arizona and Texas Tech would have to earn Big XII Title game berths, or the Wildcats would have to play one of the other eight QBs in the top 10 during the College Football Playoff to match up with one of the elite signal callers.