Arizona earns No. 21 spot in college football coaches’ preseason poll
Aug 5, 2024, 10:52 AM | Updated: Sep 3, 2024, 12:05 pm
Athletic director Dave Heeke and new head coach Brent Brennan of the Arizona Wildcats pose for a photo during a press conference at Arizona Stadium on January 17, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Arizona is among five Big 12 schools ranked in the top-25 of the preseason edition of the coaches poll released on Monday.
The Wildcats sit at No. 21, behind No. 13 Utah, No. 17 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma State while No. 24 Kansas also earns the designation.
Arizona is following up on its first double-digit win season since 2014, a 10-3 campaign led by Jedd Fisch, who departed to join unranked Washington. Brent Brennan takes the place of Fisch and high expectations have been set for a group that has a chance to immediately win its new conference.
The Wildcats are led by two junior stars on the offense in quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a duo that could have left in the transfer portal after a coaching change but chose to stay in Tucson. Arizona’s defense has its fair share of impactful contributors as well in cornerback Tacario Davis, linebacker Jacob Manu and safety Gunner Maldonado.
In the first full season since major conference realignment took place and shrunk the Pac-12 to just two teams, 24 of the 25 ranked teams are from four conferences: the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. Independent Notre Dame at No. 7 is the lone outsider.
Preseason college football coaches poll
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Michigan
9. Penn State
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. LSU
13. Utah
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma State
19. Miami
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. North Carolina State
23. USC
24. Kansas
25. Iowa
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