Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita showed up at Big 12 media days Wednesday and immediately became the story. Not just because he’s a dual-threat who can scramble or throw. Because his own head coach, Brent Brennan, went ahead and said the quiet part out loud.
“I think Noah can be the conference player of the year and win the Heisman Trophy,” Brennan told reporters. ESPN’s Pete Thamel posted that quote on X and it spread fast. No one expected the Arizona coach to drop that kind of expectation in July. But here we are.
The Quarterback Who Stayed
Fifita could have left. He had real interest from NFL scouts after last season. But he chose to come back to Tucson. That decision looked even bigger after rumors surfaced in December 2024 that he might transfer out. Nothing came of it. He stayed. And now Arizona gets another year with a quarterback who threw for over 2,800 yards and ran for another 400-plus in 2025.
The Wildcats went 9-4 last season. That’s the best mark of the Brennan era so far. But the Holiday Bowl loss to Oklahoma State still stings. Fifita mentioned that game more than once during media day. It’s clearly a motivator.
History Waiting to Happen
Arizona hasn’t won an outright conference championship since 1941. That’s not a typo. They shared a Pac-10 title in 1993 and played for the Pac-12 championship in 2014 but lost to Oregon. So when Fifita leads this team into its second year of Big 12 membership, there’s a real chance at something historic.
The schedule is manageable. The offensive line returns three starters. And Kris Hutson, Arizona’s leading wide receiver last year, is back for the 2026 season. That connection between Fifita and Hutson accounted for eight touchdowns in 2025. Defensive coordinators in the Big 12 already know they have to account for both players every snap.
What the Heisman Chatter Actually Means
Brennan isn’t just blowing smoke. Fifita finished top-15 in Heisman voting last season. He’s one of only five returning FBS quarterbacks who threw for 3,000 total yards and 30 touchdowns. The award usually goes to players on playoff-contending teams. But Arizona isn’t that far off. If the Wildcats win the Big 12 and Fifita puts up numbers similar to last year, he’ll get an invite to New York.
No Arizona player has ever won the Heisman. That alone would change the program’s entire narrative. Fifita knows it. Brennan knows it. The whole conference knows it now too.
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