Every year we ask, “what are we going to do between basketball and football season?” And every year, we somehow manage to keep ourselves entertained while trying not to melt – at least not too much – in the summer heat. Fall camp and the start of the 2026 season are right around the corner and we’re taking a look at the Wildcats’ roster from top to bottom, breaking down the players to watch and position battles to follow throughout August. Check out our 2026 in-depth Arizona preview of the offense below.
Quarterbacks
Noah Fifita is undoubtedly the most important player on the field for the Wildcats this season. To put it simply, as he goes, Arizona will go. Coming off a season where the UA finished 9-4, including a Holiday Bowl appearance, and First-Team All-Big 12 honors – the first time an Arizona quarterback has earned all-conference honors in 50 years – there’s certainly a lot to be excited about with Fifita back under center for his final season in Tucson. Fifita threw for over 3,200 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, while taking extreme care of the football with just six interceptions. But the stakes are higher for Fifita’s “Last Dance.”
“I’m coming back to do the final task…and that’s win an outright conference championship. That’s go to a Rose Bowl…That’s our standard and we believe we can do it,” Fifita told ESPN’s Sydney Jones at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, TX in July.
If Arizona’s signal caller can lead the Wildcats to a conference championship and CFP appearance like he’s set out to do, don’t be surprised if he finds himself at the Heisman Ceremony in New York come December.
The real questions in the quarterback room are who will serve as the understudy to Fifita this season. With Braedyn Locke now at Tarleton State, Arizona is putting its trust in one of its two redshirt freshmen, Sawyer Anderson or Luke Haugo. Anderson took a majority of the reps with the second unit during spring camp and appeared to have the edge on Haugo heading into the summer. While Fifita has proven that isn’t a prerequisite for on-field success, Haugo, who stands 6-foot-5, would give the Wildcats some more height and vision under center. Heading into fall camp, Anderson will likely suit up with the second unit, but this is a battle to watch through August.
Offensive Line
Offensive line is seemingly both the biggest concern and biggest question mark for every team across the country each offseason. In the case of Arizona, there shouldn’t be many concerns about the O-Line, or, at least the right side. Right guard Alexander Doost and right tackle Tristan Bounds are both back for their senior seasons and will be anchors for both Noah Fifita’s strong side and the run game. Bounds, one of the seven players selected for Big 12 Media Days this season, continues to emerge as a leader for the Wildcats after being sidelined this spring with an ankle injury suffered late last season. Meanwhile Doost has been in the weight room continuing to establish himself as one of the strongest, if not the strongest player on the roster pound for pound. He posted videos on Instagram this summer power cleaning 405 pounds and squatting 620 pounds.
The uncertainty for the UA is at the other three positions on the line. Washington transfer Zach Henning will be the starting center, but it’s how quickly he and Noah Fifita can build chemistry that will be on display this fall camp. If Fifita’s instant connection with Hawaii transfer Ka’ena Decambra last season is any indicator of how quickly the two should be able to connect, Arizona will be in good hands. Henning brings solid experience with him from Montlake the past three seasons and should help be second field general for Fifita and the Cats.
On the left side of the line, look for Arizona native Matthew Lado to take a majority of the first-team reps at left tackle. He’s continue to physically and mentally throughout spring and the summer and gives Arizona impressive size at 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds. Finally. at left guard, it seems likely that Rhino Tapa’atoutai will get the starting nod. After suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2024, Tapa’atoutai struggled on the field last season as he worked to re-acclimate to the speed and physicality of the game. With a clean bill of health in 2026, look for him to return to his early 2024 form before the injury.
Running Backs
The Wildcats relied heavily on its three-headed monster – which consisted of Ismail Mahdi, Kedrick Reescano, and Quincy Craig – in the backfield last season. Mahdi is now the owner of Tucson’s Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, but could also be eyeing a return to Arizona in light of the injunction granting the class of 2022 an additional year of eligibility. Regardless of what happens with Mahdi, Reescano and Craig will be back and leading the charge for Arizona’s run game.
Reescano has established himself as Arizona’s north and south running back, seeking contact and running through defenders. Last season, he rushed for 396 yards and nine touchdowns on 84 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per carry while finding the end zone in seven of 10 games, including a hat trick in the 41-17 win over Baylor.
Craig gives Seth Doege and Lyle Moevao a bit more versatility on the ground and through the air. Craig rushed for 364 yards and two touchdowns on 65 carries last season, but also tacked on another 114 yards and a score on 14 receptions. He is pound-for-pound one of the strongest players on the roster, helping him bounce off defenders and making him tough to tackle – think prime Austin Ekeler for those Los Angeles Chargers and fantasy football fans out there.
The new addition to the running back room is Marshall transfer Antwan Roberts. Depending on what happens with Mahdi, look for Roberts to move into the open spot on this season’s three-headed monster. Last season for the Thundering Herd, Roberts rushed for 512 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per tote. He doesn’t have quite the receiving upside that Craig has, but should be viewed as a solid all-around back option. Though he was sidelined in 2024 with an injury, he does have an existing relationship with offensive coordinator Seth Doege, who was the Thundering Herd’s offensive coordinator that season.
While Arizona won’t necessarily have a RB1, RB2, and RB3, think of Reescano, Craig, and Roberts as more of a 1A, 1B, and 1C option.
Redshirt freshmen Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius “Corn” Warren III should also be a part of the fold this season. Yarbrough showed flashes during the non-conference season and in the blowout wins versus Oklahoma State and Colorado. Depending on the durability of Reescano or Roberts – who have both struggled with injuries in the past – Yarbrough could be a plug-and-play option as Arizona’s “bruiser” back this fall. Corn measures at just 5-foot-9 and under 180 pounds, but is faster than lightning. Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats use him as a true scatback.
Wide Receivers
With a former wide receiver and receivers coach in Brent Brennan leading the charge for Arizona, naturally the wide receiver room is one of the deepest on the roster. The Wildcats are bringing back plenty of experience from a year ago and also loaded up in the transfer portal this offseason. Tre Spivey, Chris Hunter, and Gio Richardson are all back in Tucson after productive 2025 campaigns.
Spivey was a near-automatic touchdown last season. He found pay dirt eight times on just 25 touches, while contributing seven of those touchdowns and 361 yards through the air. The coaching staff worked with Spivey a lot this offseason on consistency, which should translate to improve route running and finishing through contact at Casino Del Sol Stadium this fall. With his size and frame – Spivey is 6-foot-4 and 213 pounds – he should command WR1 targets this season.
Chris Hunter was hampered at times by injuries last season, but when he was healthy, he was as sure-handed a target as you could ask for. That, combined with his crisp route running and athleticism near the sideline has him primed for the best season of his career in Tucson. Hunter hauled in 27 receptions for 372 yards and two touchdowns during the 2025 season. While Spivey’s size makes him a top target in the red zone and at the goal line, Hunter will be a valuable asset for Noah Fifita to move the ball down the field. He had four games with fifty-plus receiving yards, including three-straight games to start Big 12 play. Similar to the running back room, think of Spivey and Hunter as a 1A and 1B option.
Also back for their sophomore seasons are Gio Richardson and Isaiah Mizell. Richardson broke onto the scene in the back half of the season for Arizona, scoring his first-career touchdown in the road blowout against Colorado, before hauling in Noah Fifita’s record-setting touchdown pass two weeks later in Cincinnati. Even in year one, Richardson displayed a strong understanding of route timing, releases, and more. After another offseason off-field prep, he should be improved across the board. Mizell didn’t do much in the passing game last season, but could see an expanded role due to his blistering speed. The Orlando, FL native should see some increased reps in the slot this season replacing Javin “Nunu” Whatley from a year ago. While both he and Richardson are still early in their careers, Fifita and the coaching staff are expecting them to contribute in meaningful ways this season.
On the transfer portal front, the Wildcats added three high-profile receivers from the college football ranks – Rodney Gallagher III from West Virginia, DJ Jordan from USC, and Jordan Ross from Colorado State.
I’m not crazy about making predictions, but I’m going to make one here: Rodney Gallagher will be a 1C option alongside Spivey and Hunter by the end of the season. He and Noah Fifita have developed an early chemistry that was on full display during spring camp. While he doesn’t have elite size, he is quick, elusive, and understands the offense well already and will be a day one contributor for Bobby Wade and Co.
DJ Jordan and Jordan Ross are in similar situations: highly-rated high school prospects that had underwhelming beginnings to their collegiate careers and are looking for fresh starts. While there’s likely too much talent at the top of the depth chart for either to be WR1 options this season, they should provide valuable depth and help keep the full rotation fresh and healthy down the stretch of the season.
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Brandon Phelps and true freshman R.J. Mosley. After breaking the Arizona state high school record for receptions, yards, and touchdowns, Phelps has been limited for much of his career in Tucson due to injury, including most recently part of spring camp. If he can stay healthy, his frame makes him a big-bodied target for Fifita in the red zone – for now, he’s still a “what if.” Mosley is another guy who could have a flash in the pan moment or two this season. He is young, but someone the coaching staff on both sides of the ball are incredibly keen on and could have an impact similar to Gio Richardson last season.
Tight Ends
Tight end might be the position with the biggest questions marks this offseason on the offensive side of the ball, not because of the offseason additions, but because of what Tyler Powell could bring to the offense this fall. He was considered the “most improved player” by both Seth Doege and Danny Gonzales last spring before suffering a season-ending foot injury on the first play of the season opener last September. If he can stay healthy, he should be a force as both a receiver and a blocker for the Wildcats.
Josh Miller and Arizona also did a nice job reloading in the portal this offseason as they look to replace Cam Barmore, who emerged as a sure-handed pass catcher and scoring threat late last season. The Wildcats added Cole Rusk from Illinois, Shane King from Southern Miss, and Arthur Ban from San Diego State. King and Ban should be serviceable options, while Rusk has already emerged as a favorite of Fifita’s. The two flashed immediate chemistry during spring camp and have likely continued building their relationship on and off the field this summer.
Add in redshirt freshman Kellan Ford and true freshman Henry Gabalis and the Wildcats have an abundance of talent at tight end. Now, they just need to stay healthy and translate that talent to on-field production.