Arizona's Noah Fifita Shares Motivating Factor for 2026 Return
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One of the biggest stories in the spring season for the Arizona Wildcats has been the return of star quarterback Noah Fifita.
The veteran leader of the Wildcats has returned to the team for a fifth season this year. Since taking over as the team’s starter in 2023, Fifita has become an absolute star, throwing for 9,183 yards and 73 touchdowns in his career. Getting a talent like Fifita back in town is a monumental victory for head coach Brent Brennan and his staff.
Fifita’s 2025 Campaign
Last season was perhaps his best work to date. Fifita threw for 3,228 yards, with 29 touchdowns through the air and just six interceptions. Fifita was the catalyst behind Arizona’s impressive nine-win season, which saw them ranked in the AP Poll throughout and an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, where they would go on to lose to SMU. Despite that ending, the Wildcats endured one of their better seasons in program history in 2025.
Fifita’s return has also coincided with a sense of excitement around the program for next season. The Wildcats have been a rising program under Brent Brennan’s leadership, and Fifita’s skill set under center. With plenty of continuity in place for next season, the Wildcats are looking to pick up where they left off last season.
With him back in town for another season, the Wildcats are on a mission to take things a step further in 2026. Recently, Fifita explained to ESPN’s Pete Thamel why he decided to come back to Arizona for the 2026 season and what his goals are for the fall campaign.
Fifita’s Thoughts
- “I don't want to just be the guy that stayed,” Fifita said. “I want to be the guy that won. We've never had an outright conference title, at least in a power conference in Arizona history. So why not us? I feel like that's why God brought me back, that's what I came back for. I didn't come back for a 10-win season. I came back for it all.”
The Wildcats will enter the 2026 season as a potential sleeper team in the Big 12, with a real chance to compete for the conference crown. Arizona was able to retain its star quarterback in the same system that he has grown accustomed to since Brent Brennan took over, which could be a recipe for another memorable season being on the horizon in Tucson.
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Justin Backer brings a wealth of experience to his role as a college football and basketball general sports reporter On SI. Backer is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies, and has worked for such media companies as The Sporting News and the Palm Beach Post.