TUCSON, Arizona — Arizona enters the 2026 season with championship expectations, led by senior quarterback Noah Fifita, the active career passing touchdown leader in college football.
"The reason I came back is to do something that's never been done in Arizona," Fifita said.
The program has embraced Fifita's Heisman Trophy profile, even distributing Heisman materials at Big 12 Football Media Day. But Fifita has made clear individual awards are not the priority.
"It's not about a Heisman campaign. This is about a Big 12 championship. About a Rose Bowl," Fifita said.
Arizona's path to those goals runs through several key questions heading into the season. The secondary faces scrutiny after losing 4 starters to the NFL, though the defense remains confident in its ability to generate pressure.
"If we can get to the quarterback, we'll be good in the secondary," one player said.
Coach Brent Brennan, coming off an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, is also under the spotlight. Back-to-back strong seasons have not been a consistent feature of Arizona football in recent years.
"The stress level is always high, man. This is major college football, and in major college football, you have to be opportunistic in the transfer portal," Brennan said.
Brennan pointed to roster construction as central to the program's continued rise.
"We're trying to elevate the level of play. And so the more competition, the better. Let's put, let's pour some gas on that fire," Brennan said.
Despite the challenges, Brennan expressed confidence in what this roster can accomplish.
"I think we do have the personnel. I think we have the coaches to go do something special, and now it's just we got to go to work to go do it," Brennan said.
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