Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Arizona

Big 12 coach reveals where he ranks Noah Fifita, best traits for QB

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/31/26brianjones_93

An anonymous Big 12 coach just gave a high ranking to Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita ahead of the 2026 season. Athlon Sports recently spoke to the coach about Fifita, who is entering his fifth season at Arizona.

“(QB Noah Fifita) is freaking electric. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” the Big 12 coach said. “His off-schedule playmaking ability is unbelievable. When he gets flushed out of the pocket, the play begins. I thought their wideouts were really good. Obviously, they didn’t have a guy that was like (former Arizona wide receiver) Tetairoa McMillan, but they were pretty deep, and it felt like every other week, it was a different guy making plays.”

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

The coach continued, “On defense, they’re so different with (defensive coordinator) Danny Gonzales. No one in the league really plays like them. They’re innovative up front, and they like to play a lot of man coverage on the back end. They had some corners and DBs who could win in man coverage, and any time you can do that, that’s a recipe for success.”

Looking at Noah Fifita’s career at Arizona

Fifita had a strong 2025 season, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 3,228 yards, 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The 22-year-old led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record and a fifth-place finish in the conference. Fifita’s work on the field led to him being selected to the All-Big 12 First Team.

In 2023, Fifita became the Wildcats’ starting QB and made an immediate impact. He played in 12 games with nine starts and completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 2,869 yards, 25 TDs and six picks. At the end of the 2023 season, Fifita was named the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Arizona fans are hoping that Fifita can lead the team to a College Football Playoff appearance after winning nine games in 2025. The last time the Wildcats finished in the top 10 of the rankings was in 1997, when they finished fourth with a 12-1 record under then-head coach Dick Tomey.

Athlon Sports took a closer look at Arizona and every FBS team in its annual College Football Preview magazine. Fans can order the magazine by clicking HERE.