Arizona Football Announces Captains After Team Vote Amid 'Clear Leadership
The Arizona Wildcats are just a couple days away from getting their season underway.
Embarking on a new journey in the Big 12 Conference led by their new head coach Brent Brennan, they have an opportunity to make a massive statement against New Mexico in the opener to prove this team is good enough to compete for a title this year.
With multiple star players back for another season, aiming for their first conference championship should be on the minds of everyone in the locker room.
There could be some growing pains after the change in leadership, but offensive coordinator Dino Babers is hoping to reduce the learning curve by keeping the same verbiage in place they used from the last regime.
Ideally, that will allow their star quarterback Noah Fifita to hit the ground running and power this offense to another impressive showing during this campaign.
But before they take the field on Saturday, Arizona needed to name their captains.
According to Justin Spears of Tucson.com, Fifita, center Josh Baker and right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea were the offensive players designated as captains, while defensive back Treydan Stukes, safety Gunner Maldonado, and linebacker Jacob Manu were the defensive players given this honor.
Brennan allowed the team to vote on who they wanted to be captains of this team, and these six won in what he deemed "was a virtual landslide."
"I just feel like there's such a clear leadership on this team, and I think the players feel it," the head coach said.
It should be no surprise that Fifita was named a captain.
Quarterbacks normally earn this designation, and considering what he did last season to win Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year when stepping in for the injured Jayden de Laura, he seemed like a shoo-in to get the "C" on his jersey.
Similarly, Savaiinaea is one of the best players on this team, earning some first round projections for when he enters his name into the NFL draft. The junior offensive tackle has experience and talent that makes him an ideal fit for this role.
Speaking of experience, nobody has more than Baker on the offensive line.
The senior has been a starter for the past two seasons and has appeared in 40 total games during his career, starting in 32 of them. After being recruited by Kevin Sumlin, he stayed with the Wildcats when Jedd Fisch took over, and did the same under Brennan.
Stukes is a guy who has been turning heads during camp, prompting his new head coach to call him the best player on their defense.
This will be his fifth year in the program, and his fourth as a starter, as he looks to become a household name across the country like some of his teammates.
Manu is another defensive player who has flourished during preseason practice. Coming off being named to the All-Pac-12 First Team after leading the conference in tackles with 116, the linebacker will need to be the anchor of this unit again.
Maldonado might be the most surprising captain selection, but he is also the embodiment of what hard work can do. He increased his tackle total from 48 in 2022, to being third on the team last year with 81.
Coming of winning Defensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl, if he's able to take his game to the next level again this season, then Arizona could have a good defense that allows them to compete for conference title.
BRAD WAKAI