Noah Fifita will return to lead Arizona football quarterbacks room in 2025
Dec 18, 2024, 9:13 PM | Updated: Dec 19, 2024, 4:38 am
Quarterback Noah Fifita #11 of the Arizona Wildcats throws a pass during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Arizona Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. The Suns Devils defeated the Wildcats 49-7. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)
Arizona football officially has its starting quarterback in its fold for 2025, as Noah Fifita will return to lead the Wildcats offense in 2025, the team announced Wednesday.
Two weeks after his father, Les Fifita, told media outlets that the redshirt sophomore would not be entering the transfer portal, his intentions were cemented.
Fifita made the decision 10 days before the portal closes on Dec. 28 and will now be under the guidance of newly-hired offensive coordinator, Seth Doege, who said the quarterback is “priority number one.”
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 19, 2024
The task of Doege and head coach Brent Brennan, who retained his position after a lousy 4-8 season, will be to open the offense up for the talented dual-threat option.
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Following a 2023 campaign in which he won Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, Fifita seriously regressed in every major passing category this season. He saw the greatest decline in completion percentage (72.4 to 60.5%) with nearly 100 more passing attempts (333 to 430). There was also a noticeable drop in touchdown throws (25 to 18) and his interceptions doubled from six to 12.
Fifita ranked 109th in passing (value of 73.6) and 92nd in total offense (76.6) out of eligible FBS quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. For comparison’s sake, rival Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt currently sits T-23rd (85.6) and T-19th (90.0) in those respective categories with the Peach Bowl ahead of him.
Prior to Fifita’s pledge to stay put in Tucson, the program received commitments from two three-star recruits including one local product from Higley in Luke Haugo.
Fifita will have to overcome a few key departures outside of the transfer portal, with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Jonah Savaiinea both declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft in the past two weeks. He may have some help already though, as Arizona football landed top New Mexico receiver Luke Wysong, who put up 69 catches and 840 yards for the Lobos in 2024.
Fifita told the Arizona Daily Star a primary motivation for returning is to “make amends for what happened last year.”
