Arizona Well-Represented in Top 100 College Football Preseason Player List

These rankings go to show how big the expectations are for the Arizona football program this year.

Nov 25, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half of the Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona enters the year as a preseason top-25 team due to the talent on the roster. Winning in the Big 12 won't be easy, but as they proved in the Pac-12 last season, they have more than enough talent to compete for a title.

One could make a strong argument that the Wildcats have the best quarterback-wide receiver duo in the nation with Tetairoa McMillan and Noah Fifita, but there are other top players on this roster who should make an impact as well.

Those players aren't going under the radar either, as ESPN ranked four Wildcats in their Top 100 preseason college football rankings.

McMillan came in with the highest ranking at No. 13, a well-deserved honor for perhaps the best wide receiver in college football.

"A likely first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, McMillan is a strong candidate to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver following an incredible sophomore season. With the departure of Jacob Cowing (90 catches in 2023) for the NFL, T-Mac will become an even more essential piece in Arizona's offense and it's reasonable to expect he'll face more double-teams than in the past."

Fifita is ranked No. 51, which might be a little low, but he'll look to continue showing that he's as good as he was last year. If he does, he should be in a great position to get some draft looks when the time comes.

As for the other two Arizona players selected, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea debuted on the list, coming in at No. 85. He only allowed two sacks in 889 snaps in 2023, a big part of the offense finding the success they did.

Tacario Davis, Arizona's junior cornerback, is ranked No. 94.

Davis is viewed as a potential first-round pick in 2025. He had an impressive campaign a season ago, finishing with 15 pass breakups, 16 pass deflections, and one interception.

McMillan, Fifita, Davis, and Savaiinaea will have much of the weight on their shoulders this year. They've proven in their collegiate careers that they're more than willing to deal with that pressure, which is why they're earning this recognition.

Preseason honors are awesome for the players and team, but they know better than anyone that it only matters how they look at the end of the year.

Hopefully, they'll be a driving force in Arizona putting together another great season and becoming a Top 10 team in the country.