Arizona Wildcats Star Duo Reveals Reason for Not Following Jedd Fisch to Washington
When Jedd Fisch took the Washington job, Arizona faced the tough reality of the new college football landscape. Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan, two of the best players in the country, had a tough decision to make.
Would they follow their head coach, or would they stay at Arizona to try to win a national championship for a program that's shown them plenty of loyalty?
Either decision they made wouldn't be an easy one, but it's something a lot of college football players have to deal with. It's one of the many reasons why it's tough to get upset with student-athletes who decide to hit the transfer portal.
But how did Arizona keep their two stars around? Was it the fan base showing them love? Was it NIL money? It doesn't sound like either of those were the reason why.
Fifita and McMillan held a players-only meeting to discuss their future, and Fifita initially thought heading to Washington was a "no-brainer." However, his heart knew he wanted to stay at Arizona.
“From the team meeting on, I wanted to stay,” Fifita said, according to Justin Spears of Tucson.com. “Everything in my heart was telling me to stay.”
McMillan has constantly preached loyalty, and for a player who would've made a ton in NIL funds had he left, loyalty is his biggest reason for staying.
“We decided to stay loyal because that’s just the way we grew up,” McMillan said. “Loyalty means everything, family is everything and without them, you can’t find happiness.”
Brent Brennan also acknowledged Fisch, saying he recruited great young men.
“The truth is these players really love each other,” Brennan said. “Coach Fisch and that staff recruited a bunch of quality young men that were incredibly committed and connected, and I think that’s what contributed to them wanting to stay.”
It's always nice to see some loyalty in college football, as that's a lost art nowadays. The Wildcats stars will have an opportunity to show the country why they didn't leave with their former head coach and win a national championship at Arizona.
It won't be easy, as it typically never is, but they have an excellent chance to do so. All they need is a chance, as there's veteran talent on the roster to help them compete with any team in the country.
Their first task of the 2024 season should be an easy one, as they take on New Mexico next Saturday.
