Spivey Praises Arizona’s Continuity Heading Into Spring Season

In year three of the Brent Brennan era at Arizona, there will be plenty of continuity from the season before.

The Wildcats broke out in 2025 with a 9-4 record, being ranked in the AP Poll, and making an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, where they lost to SMU. Nonetheless, Arizona got way ahead of schedule in just the second year of Brennan’s tenure at the helm of the university.

Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan (left) and SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee shake hands after the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After such a successful season last year, many members of the staff and roster have opted to stick around for a second year. One of the most notable of those is quarterback Noah Fifita. In his four seasons with the program, Fifita has thrown 73 touchdowns with 9,183 yards while recording just 24 interceptions. Last season, he threw for 3,228 yards with 29 touchdowns and was intercepted just six times as he established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, especially in the Big 12.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Additionally, the Wildcats are retaining the same offensive coordinator, Seth Doege, for 2026, furthering the continuity of their explosive offense. Wide receiver Tre Spivey — another returning player — talked about the impact and the level of trust within the offense due to the familiarity on that side of the ball, especially with having Fifita under center again for the 2026 season.

Spivey’s Thoughts

“I think that the trust just comes from the amount of repetition, and the amount of work that we put in with Noah,” Spivey said. “We take a lot of just extra time out of our day to go practice, walk through stuff with him, catch balls from him, from a receiver standpoint, extra meetings coming in to watch film after spring ball practices back in fall camp, even after practice during the season.”

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tre Spivey (12) against the Baylor Bears at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“I think that trust just comes with showing that he's comfortable with knowing how bad we want to win,” Spivey added. “Obviously, we know how bad he wants to win. So, you know, we're all competitive and that allows us to gel well together.”

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan celebrates against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wildcats Boast Heavy Continuity Heading Into 2026 College Football Campaign

With a bunch of returners coming back, the Wildcats will be in a good position to compete for a Big 12 title in 2026. With a senior quarterback in Fifita leading the way, Arizona’s offense is sure to carry them to another successful season as Brennan and the team continue its rebuild.