Arizona football progress report: Grading the Wildcats through nonconference play

Through the first quarter of Brent Brennan's first season as head coach of Arizona, the Wildcats are 2-1.

At this pace, Arizona will have an 8-4 season after its three-loss season last year. However, the Wildcats have plenty of work to do if they want to sniff last season's win total, especially in the Big 12. 

Fortunately for Arizona, the only ranked opponent left on the schedule is No. 12 Utah on Sept. 28 in Salt Lake City following the bye week, albeit Texas Tech, BYU, Central Florida and Arizona State have proven to be better than expected. 

With a week off, the Star opted to create a progress report and hand out some grades for the Wildcats. 

Quarterbacks

Grade: A-

The rundown: Noah Fifita entered this season as one of the top quarterbacks in college football and immediately showed why in the season opener by dropping passes to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan mid-stride for his top target to set the program's single-game receiving record (304 yards). One of Fifita's strengths is his accuracy.

In his first season as the starter, Fifita became the only quarterback in UA history to have a completion rate higher than 70% (72.4). This season, Fifita's completion rate has dipped to 63.6% and is two interceptions away from matching his season total (5) from last year.

Fifita didn't throw a touchdown pass against Kansas State on Friday, ending his eight-game streak with at least one touchdown throw. 

Wide receivers/tight ends

Grade: C

The rundown: When it's all said and done, McMillan might go down as the best wide receiver — heck, maybe even the best player — in UA football history.

The likely first-round draft choice and potential Biletnikoff Award winner has the catch radius, athleticism and speed that will help him carve out a lengthy NFL career, but he's been a one-man show in Arizona's passing attack, excluding his two-catch, 11-yard outing against Northern Arizona. 

As expected, replacing NFL Draft picks in Jacob Cowing and Tanner McLachlan are tall tasks for Arizona's offense. Arizona had two rising and promising prospects in junior-college transfer Jeremiah Patterson and tight end Keyan Burnett, who both appeared to be in for breakout seasons, but they've combined for eight receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown so far.

McMillan is Arizona's leading receiver with 453 yards and four touchdowns. The rest of Arizona's pass-catchers (wide receivers, tight ends and running backs) have combined for 410 yards and a touchdown. Second-year starter Montana Lemonious-Craig is second in receiving yards (94) after his six-catch, 75-yard performance against Kansas State.

The quest to find consistent weapons in the passing game — and complementary pieces for McMillan to open up the offensive playbook — is an ongoing issue for Arizona. 

"I take the blame," Fifita said after the loss to Kansas State. "I gotta play better. I gotta get the ball to my playmakers and let them play.

"This bye week, for me, is to get individually better and get more comfortable."

Brennan said Arizona's receivers have to "fight through collision” in running routes against physical defensive backs. 

"We gotta talk as a coaching staff. What's the best way to try and help them create some space and help them operate in the secondary?" Brennan said. "Like I said, we got work to do."

Arizona second-year wide receiver Malachi Riley, whose potential touchdown catch was intercepted at Kansas State, suffered an injury last week. 

"He's been with the training staff and that's going to take a little bit of time," Brennan said.

Old Dominion transfer wide receiver Reymello Murphy, who missed the KSU game with an undisclosed injury, redshirt freshman Devin Hyatt, redshirt sophomore Chris Hunter, San Jose State transfer tight end Sam Olson and veteran tight end Roberto Miranda were expected to have prominent roles in the UA offense, but have combined for five receptions this season. 

Running backs

Grade: B-

The rundown: Potentially the deepest position group for the Wildcats hasn't had the start many thought they'd have. Sixth-year running back and would-be starter Jacory Croskey-Merritt, after rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico in the season opener, has been held out the last two games for eligibility concerns even though he "was thoroughly vetted" by the program in the offseason, according to Brennan. 

"I just feel bad for the young man," Brennan said of Croskey-Merritt. "I really do.

"Now we’re just waiting to see what the end decision or end result is with the NCAA.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Without Croskey-Merritt, Arizona's top running back is Quali Conley, who has 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season. Conley is also Arizona's third-leading receiver with 69 yards. Ole Miss transfer Kedrick Reescano scored his first collegiate touchdown against NAU with a 56-yard run, but only had two carries for three yards against Kansas State. Conley has been Arizona's primary rusher with 41 of Arizona's 74 rush attempts.

Rayshon "Speedy" Luke was expected to have a larger role this season, but has seven touches this season, including four receptions for 47 yards.  

"Hopefully we can find some space to get Speedy more involved in the game," Brennan said. "That's a constant conversation for us."

Offensive line

Grade: C-

The rundown: Arizona has a strong three-man core with center Josh Baker, left guard Wendell Moe and right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, a potential first-round choice in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After losing left tackle Jordan Morgan and replacing him with Rhino Tapa'atoutai, who previously had never played a snap of college football, and losing former four-star recruit Raymond Pulido, coupled with injuries at the start of the season, Arizona hasn't found the continuity it had last season on the offensive line. The Wildcats allowed 13 quarterback pressures at Kansas State. The health and development of Arizona's offensive line is a work in progress. 

Defensive line

Grade: D

The rundown: The biggest question mark for Arizona in the offseason is still an area of concern for the Wildcats. Arizona lost nine scholarship defensive linemen from last season, including all four starters.

Arizona added seven defensive linemen in the transfer portal, including starters in San Jose State transfer and former All-Mountain West selection Tre Smith, nose tackle Chubba Ma'ae and Chase Kennedy, an undersized but extremely quick and athletic edge rusher; Kennedy has a team-best 85.8 pass-rushing grade on Pro Football Focus. Arizona's other starter is rising junior Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei. 

Arizona used 11 defensive linemen against Kansas State, but while the numbers suggest the Wildcats have depth, they've struggled to stop the run. Arizona's defense ranks 103rd nationally in rushing defense after finishing Top 30 last season. The Wildcats have struggled to contain the edge and corral athletic quarterbacks in the pocket. Athletic quarterbacks in Devon Dampier (New Mexico) and Avery Johnson (Kansas State) have shown the blueprint to attack Arizona's defense.    

"Quarterback run adds a different element especially when the quarterback is as athletic as the kid we played last week," Brennan said. "That adds another component to it. I think there’s some things we can do schematically that we’re talking about in terms of being cleaner on that. Technically, there’s some things the guys playing can do mitigate some of that.”

Linebackers

Grade: B

The rundown: Jacob Manu and Taye Brown are the Wildcats' leaders with 46 combined tackles and 10 combined missed tackles, per PFF. It was expected for Manu, Brown and the other UA linebackers to blitz more and apply more pressure on the quarterback, but Brown is the only Arizona linebacker with a sack. Manu had 13 quarterback hurries last season and is on pace for eight this year. 

Defensive backs

Grade: B-

The rundown: With four starters back from last season, Arizona's defensive secondary hasn't played at full strength for most of the three games. Free safety Gunner Maldonado missed the NAU game, then strong safety Dalton Johnson was out for the Kansas State game. Nickel back Treydan Stukes also exited the KSU game and was replaced by Owen Goss, who had the worst PFF grade (31.3) last week after giving up four receptions for 81 yards; he also had three missed tackles, according to PFF.

Stukes and sophomore Genesis Smith each have an interception this season. UA star cornerback Tacario Davis, who led the Pac-12 in pass breakups last season, doesn't have a PBU or takeaway this season.   

Special teams

Grade: C+

The rundown: Kicker Tyler Loop made a career-long 54-yard field goal and has an 80% field goal rate this season. Loop also recently took over punting duties after freshman Michael Salgado-Medina and walk-on Jordan Forbes punted the first two games. The decision to install Loop at punter is due to "operational time." 

"He just gets it off faster," Brennan said. 

Loop averaged just under 42 yards per punt and had three land inside the 20-yard line against Kansas State. 

Kansas State's 71-yard punt return for a touchdown is the first surrendered by Arizona since 2021.