Arizona’s Brent Brennan makes the case for Noah Fifita as Big 12 Offensive POY

The Arizona Wildcats had an almost mirror image season in 2025 from 2024.

In 2024, the team underperformed following a No. 21 AP preseason ranking and ended the year 4-8. In 2025 the team surged past expectations to go from unranked to 9-3 and a No. 22 ranking.

The team’s success followed the success of quarterback Noah Fifita who, after a down year in 2024, set career highs in passing yards (2,963) and touchdowns (26) with a career low in interceptions (five) across his three seasons as a starter.

He and Arizona still have a bowl game ahead of them, so Fifita will have a chance to add to these numbers.

Head coach Brent Brennan has praised Fifita all season, and explained to reporters on Monday why he thinks Fifita should be awarded Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

“To me that award should go to the most important player to his team,” Brennan said. “I don’t think there’s any question that that’s Noah Fifita for us.”

Brennan also noted Fifita’s strong touchdown to interception ratio. Only one player, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, was better by that metric in the Big 12, and the difference was only a single touchdown.

Fifita this season has combined individual and team success in a way no other Big 12 quarterback has.

Of the five teams in the conference that won at least nine games, Fifita had the most passing yards and passing touchdowns while having the second-highest passer rating.

Fifita had four more passing touchdowns and nearly 400 more passing yards than the next highest nine-plus win quarterback.

While Arizona will not play in the Big 12 Championship, they are bowl-eligible for the second time in Fifita’s career. The Wildcats took down the Oklahoma Sooners in the Alamo Bowl in 2023.

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