Arizona Wildcats football training camp preview, Part I: Offense

Leading up to Arizona fall training camp, which begins on Wednesday, the Star is taking a look into how the Wildcats are shaping up entering the program’s inaugural season in the Big 12 under first-year head coach Brent Brennan. First up: Offense.

Quarterbacks

Key returners: Noah Fifita

Key departures: Jayden de Laura

Key additions: Anthony Garcia, Adam Damante

The numbers game: 527 yards (all-time single-game UA passing record set by Fifita in last season’s Territorial Cup game), 72.4% (Fifita’s completion rate in ’23, a single-season record by a UA quarterback, passing Nick Foles), 25 (touchdowns thrown by Fifita), 2 (losses with Fifita as the starter)

The rundown: Last year at this time, Fifita was Arizona’s bonafide backup quarterback behind de Laura, with the expectation of likely taking over the reins of the UA offense under former head coach Jedd Fisch. But things changed. De Laura injured his ankle against Stanford in the Pac-12 opener, which led to Fifita playing his first meaningful snaps as a Wildcat and leading the charge during Arizona’s 10-3 season that ended with a seven-game winning streak, Arizona’s longest winning streak since the 1998 season.

After passing for 2,586 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions, the 5-11 Fifita was named the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Football Writer’s Association of America Offensive Freshman of the Year. Entering this season as QB1, the cerebral Fifita, who spurned the transfer portal to play another season at Arizona despite Fisch leaving for Washington, is among the top passers and field generals in college football. Fifita’s legacy is already stamped in Tucson, but he has the opportunity to solidify himself as arguably the best quarterback in program history.

The backup quarterback position will be among the most notable battles in training camp between Dorman, the pickups in the transfer portal and walk-on Cole Tannenbaum.

Running backs

Key returners: Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, Brandon Johnson

Key departures: Michael Wiley, Jonah Coleman and DJ Williams

Key additions: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (New Mexico), Quali Conley (San Jose State), Kedrick Reescano (Ole Miss)

The numbers game: 1,554 (rushing yards recorded by Wiley, Coleman and Williams last season), 153 (yards recorded by Arizona’s returning running backs last season), 17 (touchdowns scored by Croskey-Merritt last season at New Mexico, which ranked fifth in college football)

The rundown: Arizona’s running backs room was nearly gutted between the losses of multi-year starter Wiley and Williams graduating, along with Coleman transferring to Washington. Luke had a minimal role in the UA offense last season but showed promise as a between-the-tackles running back with a 40-yard touchdown run up the middle against Washington State last season.

Despite having a 5-9, 175-pound frame, Luke’s speed and elusiveness in the open field could add an effective component in Arizona’s passing attack or jet sweeps as a third-year player.

Arizona’s likely starters at running back this season will either be Croskey-Merritt or Conley, who were among the top rushers in the Mountain West last season. Croskey-Merritt, who flipped his commitment to the UA from Ole Miss, and Conley combined for 2,032 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. Conley became an early enrollee in the spring and was Arizona’s starting running back before he suffered a leg injury that sidelined him for the latter part of spring practices.

With the addition of former highly-touted prospect in Reescano, and a second-year player in Johnson, the Wildcats have five scholarship running backs in the rotation. Once a position of concern, the UA running backs have the potential to complement Arizona’s passing attack and give the Wildcats one of the top offenses in the Big 12 — and nationally.

Wide receivers

Key returners: Tetairoa McMillan, Montana Lemonious-Craig, Malachi Riley, AJ Jones

Key departures: Jacob Cowing, Kevin Green Jr.

Key additions: Reymello Murphy (Old Dominion), Jeremiah Patterson (College of San Mateo)

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The numbers game: 1,248 (yards McMillan needs to break Bobby Wade’s all-time receiving yards record at Arizona), 10 (several mock NFL Drafts list McMillan as a Top 10 pick in 2025), 90 (receptions for McMillan last season, which is second in program history), 266 (yards against Arizona, which is second-most by a Wildcat in a game)

The rundown: McMillan came to Arizona as the highest-rated signee in program history in the modern recruiting era, and he could leave as potentially the best receiver — and player — in Arizona history. McMillan’s 6-5, 210-pound frame, coupled with his awing athleticism and one-handed pass-catching ability, sets him up to end his Arizona legacy as the GOAT (greatest of all time) before he jets to the NFL as a likely first-round pick.

McMillan and Lemonious-Craig, who was fifth on the team with 296 receiving yards, will likely be Arizona’s top two receivers. But the Wildcats have a Cowing-sized void to fill at slot receiver, and with Green transferring to Washington, Riley, Murphy or Patterson could replace Cowing, who set two school records last season: most receiving touchdowns in a game with four at USC, and most receiving touchdowns (13) in a season.

The Wildcats also have promising underclassmen prospects at wide receiver between Brandon Phelps, Jackson Holman, Devin Hyatt and Chris Hunter, among others. Brennan said at Big Media Days that Arizona has a “pretty deep group” at wide receiver.

Tight ends

Key returners: Roberto Miranda, Keyan Burnett

Key departures: Tanner McLachlan

Key additions: Sam Olson (San Jose State)

The numbers game: 14 (years since Arizona had a tight end drafted to the NFL, when McLachlan was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals), 1 (career receptions for Miranda)

The rundown: McLachlan, the most productive tight end since Rob Gronkowski, is gone, opening up the door for Kevin Sumlin-era tight end Roberto Miranda, a fifth-year redshirt junior from Berlin, Germany, and junior Keyan Burnett, who came to Arizona with fellow Anaheim (California) Servite High School teammates in 2022 with Fifita, McMillan and linebacker Jacob Manu. Miranda — nicknamed “Das Gronk” by local media — and Burnett have combined for seven catches in the last two years. Last season at San Jose State, Olson tallied 22 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

Tight ends will have an instrumental role in Arizona’s offense under Brennan and offensive coordinator Dino Babers. In the spring, Arizona practiced two-tight end sets also known as “12 personnel,” with Miranda and Burnett, along with redshirt sophomore Tyler Powell and redshirt freshman Dorian Thomas; freshman Dylan Tapley signed with Arizona’s ’24 recruiting class. Miranda was among the most productive tight ends in the group and could be in store for a breakout year.

Offensive line

Key returners: Right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, center Josh Baker, left guard Wendell Moe, left tackle Raymond Pulido, right guard Leif Magnuson

Key departures: Left tackle Jordan Morgan

Key additions: Tackle Michael Wooten (Oregon), guard Shancco Matautia (New Mexico), tackle Jonah Rodriguez (San Diego State), tackle/guard Alexander Doost, tackle/guard Ryan Stewart (San Jose State)

The numbers game: 2 (sacks allowed by Savaiinaea in 491 pass-blocking snaps last season), 84.1 (Moe’s pass-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus)

The rundown: With Morgan opting out due to preparation for the NFL Draft, Arizona played musical chairs with its offensive line during the win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, which was problematic for protecting. Arizona had a 52.7 pass-blocking grade in the Alamo Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus, which is the worst since the 45-20 loss to Utah in 2022.

The Wildcats moved freshman right guard Raymond Pulido to left tackle and Savaiinaea from right tackle to right guard, before kicking him back out to right tackle and installing Magnuson, who replaced the injured Pulido last season, at right guard to finish the game.

Right guard will be among the top position battles in training camp between Magnuson, Matautia, Doost and walk-on Zarius Wells, among others. Although Pulido is the leader in the clubhouse at left tackle, his health has been inconsistent since joining Arizona, between his on-campus bicycle accident that sidelined him for the start of the season and his ankle injury during Pac-12 play, and he also missed time this spring with a leg injury.

Replacing a first-round pick and all-conference left tackle in Morgan won’t be an easy task. If Pulido isn’t available, the Wildcats have second-year tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai, Wooten, Rodriguez and redshirt freshman Tylen Gonzalez as options.