Five burning questions for the Arizona Wildcats entering 2023

The offseason has officially begun for the Arizona Wildcats.

A season after finishing 1-11 and last place in the Pac-12, the UA in Year 2 of the Jedd Fisch era went 5-7, knocked off a ranked opponent in 12th-ranked UCLA (and did it on the road in what could’ve been the last game at the Rose Bowl for Arizona), and ended a five-game losing skid to rival Arizona State on Friday in a 38-35 win.

“We didn’t know exactly where we were last year when we got here, we didn’t know exactly what the (2021) season was going to look like,” Fisch said after the Wildcats’ Territorial Cup win over ASU. “The season ended and we felt like going into the offseason we had a chance to do some really special things.

“We brought some really good players in and the players who stayed were committed to getting better. This season has been a good season in terms of we competed really well in a lot of games. We all have regrets and we all wish we won more games, but in this case right now, the build is still the build — the build isn’t changing.

“We’re still trying to get better, we want to get better. We want to bring in more players — better players — and keep building off what we did. … If we continue to get better, then the build should never end. It’s an infinite game, and that’s what we tell our team, that it’s an infinite game and all we can do is continue to see how good we can be.”

As the Wildcats officially turn the page to 2023, here are five burning questions we have for Arizona:

Who will earn All-Pac-12 honors?

Now that the regular season has come to a close, it’s accolade season, and a few Wildcats are in position to pick up All-Pac-12 honors.

Although Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura is second in the conference in passing yards (3,685), the former Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year likely won’t receive All-Pac-12 First or Second Team honors, with other notable quarterbacks like Heisman Trophy favorite Caleb Williams (USC), Bo Nix (Oregon), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), among others, playing well this season.

However, de Laura’s targets in Dorian Singer, the Pac-12’s current receiving yards leader (1,105), and Jacob Cowing, who is first in receptions (84), will most likely earn All-Pac-12 honors. Singer and Cowing could become the first UA receivers since Juron Criner in 2010 to earn All-Pac-12 First-Team honors. The last UA offensive player to receive All-Pac-12 First-Team honors was running back Ka’Deem Carey in 2013.

Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who is tied for most receiving touchdowns in the Pac-12, is in contention to win Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, but running backs Damien Martinez (Oregon State) and Jaydn Ott (Cal), who rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona, also have cases to win the award.

Who stays? Who goes?

Arizona is expected to lose several players, whether it’s via the NFL draft, the transfer portal or players’ eligibility running out.

Eighteen players participated in Arizona’s Senior Day ceremonies on Friday, but most of them could either return to the UA, enter the transfer portal or turn pro, including left tackle Jordan Morgan, running back Michael Wiley, safety Jaxen Turner, defensive tackle Kyon Barrs, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, wide receiver Jamarye Joiner and punter Kyle Ostendorp.

Wiley could conceivably enter his name in the NFL draft after totaling 11 touchdowns this season and playing his best month of football to end the 2022 season, which included a 214-yard, three-touchdown performance against ASU.

“I haven’t really thought about that yet,” said Wiley, who’s set to graduate from the UA in May.

Arizona is likely to lose both offensive tackles, with right tackle Paiton Fears out of eligibility and left tackle Morgan, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at UCLA, mulling over staying at the UA or declaring for the draft. If Morgan leaves for the NFL, newcomers Jacob Reece or Joe Borjon could fill the void, or incoming freshmen Elijha Payne or Rhino Tapaatoutai could start in their first seasons at Arizona. UA offensive line coach Brennan Carroll said earlier in the season right guard Jonah Savaiinaea could earn reps at left tackle if needed. The Wildcats will likely tap into the transfer portal market for depth on the offensive line.

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Cowing could return to the Wildcats, but will likely become the first Arizona wide receiver drafted since Criner in 2012.

How will the defense look in Year 2 under Nansen?

For the first time since the 2018 and ’19 seasons, the Wildcats will enter the new year with the same defensive coordinator. Since Marcel Yates was fired after Arizona’s loss to Stanford, the Wildcats have had three different full-time defensive coordinators and one interim DC, Chuck Cecil.

In the first year under defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, the Wildcats finished 11th in the Pac-12 in total yards (467.7) allowed and 10th in rushing yards (209.1) allowed per game. Arizona nearly tripled its takeaway total from last season (six), with 16 this season — five on Friday. As the season progressed, Nansen implemented more true freshmen into Arizona’s defensive rotation such as defensive backs Ephesians Prysock and Tacario “Bobo” Davis, defensive linemen in Ta’ita’i Uiagalalei, Jacob Rich Kongaika, Russell “Deuce” Davis and Sterling “Deuce” Lane. There’s also linebacker Jacob Manu, an under-recruited player who replaced Kolbe Cage at “Will” linebacker and was involved in two critical plays against ASU, like hitting Sun Devils quarterback Trenton Bourguet’s elbow on the final drive of the game to force an interception and seal the win for the Wildcats.

“He worked his butt off,” Arizona middle linebacker Jerry Roberts said of Manu. “He started on scout team, they said he was doing a heck of a job on scout team and Coach Nansen gave him a shot. Ever since then, he took off and has been balling.”

Manu will return at linebacker, but losing sixth-year senior Roberts, along with limited experience in Malik Reed — who didn’t play a defensive snap this season — Anthony Solomon, Cage and Ammon Allen, Arizona is vulnerable at linebacker.

The 20-player, defensive-heavy 2023 recruiting class for Arizona features seven defensive backs, six defensive linemen and two linebackers.

Who’s the quarterback after JDL?

De Laura, who finished third in single-season passing yards at UA behind Nick Foles and Anu Solomon, will return for 2022, but if something happens to de Laura, who will become the Wildcats’ quarterback?

Arizona brings back promising freshman Noah Fifita, who played in three games in his first season at Arizona and is the quarterback in waiting once de Laura’s career in Tucson finishes.The Wildcats will also have Brayden Dorman, a 6-5, 206-pound four-star prospect from Colorado Springs, enrolling in the spring. Dorman is Arizona’s highest-rated prospect for 2023.

Redshirt sophomore Gunner Cruz and third-year sophomore Will Plummer also have eligibility remaining.

Will the Wildcats make a bowl game in 2023?

Entering the season, most sports books projected the season win total for the Wildcats at either 2.5 or 3.5 wins (congratulations if you took the over).

After finishing 5-7 in 2022, expect the season win total line for next season to increase by a game or two — or more. Here are Arizona’s opponents for 2023 and their records from this season:

Northern Arizona (3-8), at Mississippi State (8-4), UTEP (5-7), at Colorado (1-11), Utah (9-3), at Stanford (3-9), at USC (11-1), Oregon State (9-3), Washington (10-2), UCLA (9-3), at Washington State (7-5) and at ASU (3-9).