Four Arizona Wildcats crack ESPN's Top 100 college football players list

Four Arizona Wildcats were included on ESPN's Top 100 college football players entering the 2024 season, which was revealed on Thursday.

Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis (94), offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (85), quarterback Noah Fifita (51) and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (13). The four Wildcats on ESPN's Top 100 list are the most in the Big 12. The highest-rated Big 12 player on ESPN's Top 100 list is Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter (3). 

Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr., Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham (Fifita and McMillan's former teammate at Servite High School in Anaheim, California), Hunter, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III are the top five players, per ESPN. 

The 6-4, 195-pound Davis, a preseason All-Big 12 choice, grew into one of the top defensive backs nationally after leading the Pac-12 in pass breakups (16) and received an 85.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. He had the highest overall PFF grade (84.2) amongst UA players last year.

Fifita, who was also the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Football Writer’s Association of American National Offensive Freshman of the Year, concluded his first season as Arizona’s starter with 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.4% of his pass attempts. The Huntington Beach, California native is the only UA quarterback in program history to complete over 70% of his passes in a season.

After taking over for the injured Jayden de Laura during Arizona’s come-from-behind win at Stanford to begin Pac-12 play last season, Fifita went 7-2 as the starter, and led the Wildcats on a seven-game winning streak to end the season; the two losses to Washington and USC were by a combined nine points. Fifita stamped his breakout regular season with a school- and Territorial Cup-record 527 yards through the air along with five touchdowns in a blowout win over rival ASU in Tempe.

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In Arizona’s win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, Fifita passed for 354 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, the second-most passing yards in a bowl game in program history.

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. 

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.

The 6-5, 330-pound Savaiinaea, a Tafuna, American Samoa native and likely NFL Draft pick in 2025, 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.

No. 21 Arizona kicks off the 2024 season against New Mexico at Arizona Stadium on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.