Arizona voted fifth in preseason Big 12 poll; five Wildcats make all-conference team

Leading up to the inaugural season for the new 16-team Big 12, the Arizona Wildcats were voted by the media to finish the season fifth, the conference announced on Tuesday. The Wildcats received three first-place votes. 

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, linebacker Jacob Manu, cornerback Tacario Davis and kicker Tyler Loop were also named to the preseason All-Big 12 team.

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II earned preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter was dubbed preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, while UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson garnered preseason Newcomer of the Year honors. 

In the Big 12 preseason poll, Arizona was voted behind preseason favorite Utah, which received 20 first-place votes, edging Kansas State's 19 first-place votes. Oklahoma State and Kansas were voted to finish third and fourth. We selected Arizona third in the preseason Big 12 ballot behind Oklahoma State and Iowa State.   

Kansas State and Utah are Arizona's first road games of the season, with the game in Manhattan ruled a nonconference game since it was previously scheduled. Arizona officially opens up Big 12 play at Utah on Sept. 28.

Arizona has six games against Big 12 opponents that were voted in the bottom half of the preseason Big 12 poll: Texas Tech (9), at TCU (10), Colorado (11), at BYU (13), Houston (15) and Arizona State (16). The Wildcats host West Virginia, voted seventh, on Oct. 26 for Family Weekend in Tucson.

Arizona ended its 2023 season on a seven-game winning streak, which included a victory over former Big 12 team Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, and finished with a 10-3 record, becoming the fourth team in program history to win at least 10 games. Arizona finished No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25, the highest ranking to end a season since 1998.

Despite former head coach Jedd Fisch leaving for Washington, the Wildcats return their nucleus from last season, including quarterback Noah Fifita and McMillan, one of the top quarterback-receiver tandems in college football. Additionally, Manu, Davis and most of the defensive secondary have returned for the ‘24 season.

Manu led the Pac-12 in tackles (116) and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and Associated Press All-Pac-12 First Team. Manu was the first Wildcat to lead the Pac-12 in tackles since Scooby Wright III in 2014. Manu was recently named a fourth-team preseason All-American by Athlon Sports.

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McMillan, who is the highest-rated signee in Arizona football history in the modern recruiting era, will enter his third season as a mainstay in Arizona's offense and one of the top receivers in college football. 

McMillan ended his sophomore campaign with the second-most receiving yards (1,402) in a season by a UA receiver. McMillan’s career-high happened in the 2023 Territorial Cup game, an 11-catch, 266-yard, one-touchdown performance in a 36-point win over Arizona State. McMillan was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection and received third-team Associated Press All-American honors. This offseason, McMillan has garnered preseason Athlon Sports All-American honors and was named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

Savaiinaea started all 13 games for Arizona last season — 12 at right tackle, one at right guard. Savaiinaea received a 70.2 grade by Pro Football Focus this past season. Savaiinaea had an 80.6 pass-blocking grade from PFF following his sophomore campaign in 2023.

Last season, Davis grew into one of the top defensive backs nationally after leading the Pac-12 in pass breakups (16) and received an 87.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. Davis entered the transfer portal following the departure of Fisch, but returned to Arizona following the spring practice schedule.

Loop is coming off a career year for the Wildcats, making 19 of 24 field goals and influencing several games in Arizona’s 10-3 season in 2023. Loop made three field goals and three PAT attempts in Arizona’s 38-24 win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. He also extended his range by making his first 50-yard field goal; he made 2 of 4 field goals from at least 50 yards out. Loop made a 52-yard goal in Arizona’s 34-31 win over Colorado — the game Loop won for the Wildcats with a 24-yard field goal as time expired, the team’s first walk-off field goal since 2014. Loop was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Colorado. In Loop’s 84 kickoff attempts in 2023, 73 of them were touchbacks.

Arizona kicks off the 2024 season against New Mexico at Arizona Stadium on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Here's a complete look at the preseason Big 12 media poll (first-place votes):

1. Utah (20)
2. Kansas State (19)
3. Oklahoma State (14)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Arizona (3)
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8. UCF
9. Texas Tech
10. TCU
11. Colorado
12. Baylor
13. BYU
14. Cincinnati
15. Houston
16. Arizona State