Brent Brennan enters his third season at Arizona after the Wildcats finished 9-4 in 2025. Noah Fifita returns for his senior season at quarterback with 73 career touchdown passes, while the other quarterbacks on the roster enter 2026 with no prior college game experience. Ismail Mahdi returned after an initial court ruling granted members of the 2022 class an extra year of eligibility. He led Arizona in rushing with 859 yards last season. Update (Oct. 3): A subsequent court decision ruled RB Ismail Mahdi ineligible after a ruling on his 2026 eligibility. Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig also return in the backfield. Marshall transfer Antwan Roberts joins the group.
Cole Rusk joins the program at tight end, while Chris Hunter, Tre Spivey, and Giovanni Richardson return in the receiving corps. Update (Sept. 21): WR Giovanni Richardson suffered a lower-extremity injury against BYU and was expected to miss time. Richardson led Arizona with 14 receptions for 161 yards through the first two games. Richardson returned against Cincinnati but suffered another injury and subsequently missed the West Virginia game. Update (Oct. 5): WR Tre Spivey suffered a season-ending foot injury against Cincinnati and will undergo surgery. Spivey led Arizona with 22 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns. The offensive line returns Alexander Doost and Tristan Bounds, while several positions will feature new starters.
Arizona returns five of its top eleven tacklers from last season: linebackers Taye Brown, Max Harris, and Chase Kennedy; defensive lineman Leroy Palu; and linebacker Jabari Mann. Update (Oct. 3): LB Max Harris was ruled ineligible following a court decision involving his 2026 eligibility. The Wildcats must replace leading tackler Dalton Johnson and several other contributors from last season’s defense. Nebraska transfer Malcolm Hartzog joins the secondary, which will feature several new contributors.
Arizona will feature several new contributors on special teams under Craig Naivar in 2026, including Australian punter Chase Ridley, West Virginia transfer Rodney Gallagher at punt return, and Michael Salgado-Medina at placekicker. Quincy Craig provides kickoff-return experience, while Mahdi entered the season as another return option before the eligibility ruling. Special teams will clearly change for the Wildcats in 2026. The Wildcats enter 2026 with continuity at quarterback while working several new contributors into roles on the offensive line, throughout the defense, and on special teams. However, the eligibility losses of Mahdi and Harris, along with Spivey’s season-ending injury and additional injuries in the receiving corps, have created significant challenges on both sides of the ball.