College Football Analysts Reveal Bold Prediction for Arizona Wildcats
The 2024 college football season is going to be full of firsts for the Arizona Wildcats.
It is the first year that Brent Brennan will be head coach, taking over after Jedd Fisch departed and accepted the head coaching job with the Washington Huskies. Arizona is also calling a new conference home for the first time since 1978 when they left the WAC for the Pac-10 as 2024 will be the first season they spend as members of the Big 12 Conference.
Despite those obstacles, Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick of PFF believe that good things are on the horizon for the Wildcats this year.
They have made a bold prediction, believing Arizona's preseason win total will be exceeded for a second straight year after the Wildcats won 10 games and finished ranked No. 14 in the nation after having their initial total set at 5.5.
Heading into this year, they have a preseason win total of 7.5 games and are starting out ranked as the No. 21 team in the country, the first time they will enter their opener with a ranking since 2015.
“Even with a new head coach, Arizona has a much better chance of winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff than the sportsbooks suggest. The Wildcats boast multiple potential first-round picks and a top-10 quarterback. Coupled with a relatively easy schedule, Arizona will likely exceed their projected win total again,” the PFF duo wrote.
The first-round picks are on both sides of the ball.
A lofty first-round projection is cornerback Tacario Davis. He is intimidating with his size for a cornerback, being measured at 6-foot-4. A true lockdown corner, he forced 14 incompletions and only allowed 11 receptions while in man coverage.
Offensively, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is one of the best players in the country regardless of position. Entering the season, many believe that he can be a Top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
He possesses some traits that can't be taught, such as his massive catch radius standing at 6-foot-5. Coupled with his incredible hands that produced the lowest drop rate at 2.1 percent among Power 5 receivers with at least 100 targets, and it's clear the Wildcats have a special player on their roster.
McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita are arguably the most dynamic wide receiver/quarterback duo in college football. Extremely accurate, Fifita knows where to put the ball so his players can make big plays.
Last season, Fifita stepped into the lineup for Jayden de Laura, who injured his ankle in the fourth game. The rest, as they say, is history as Fifita played at an extremely high level and is now regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
KENNETH TEAPE