2026 Arizona Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Brent Brennan has brought some stability to Arizona, and the program enters 2026 with a clearer identity than it had in previous seasons. Brennan has done a good job building the roster and establishing consistency within the program, which should help Arizona compete in a Big 12 that remains wide open. Having that stability in place gives the Wildcats a solid foundation heading into the season.
Noah Fifita also gives Arizona experience at quarterback, which is important for an offense looking to take another step. He has already played significant football and should be more comfortable running the offense with another year of experience. Arizona also has plenty of talent at the skill positions, giving Fifita players around him who can make plays and help keep the offense moving.
What’s not to like:
Depth remains a concern for Arizona, particularly as the season progresses. The Wildcats have enough talent in their starting lineup to compete with most teams in the Big 12, but injuries could quickly become a problem if the second unit doesn't provide enough production.
Arizona also needs to improve against the run. Giving up too much on the ground can put pressure on the offense to consistently score, especially in games where opponents are able to control the clock. Becoming more reliable against the run would give the Wildcats a better chance of closing out games.
What does the Hourglass say?
Arizona- Big 12 (8-4)
Power ranking 56.4.
2026 Arizona Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #32- outside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Brent Brennan- 33rd in Power 5 and 5th in the Big 12.
2026 coaching value= 21.25 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Brent Brennan is ranked middle of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Noah Fifta- ranked 14th in the Power 4, 2nd in the Big 12; 2026 QB value= 42.7 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Arizona has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of . This puts the Wildcats at the lower tier for the Big 12 in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Arizona has a solid foundation heading into 2026 with Brent Brennan providing stability and Noah Fifita returning at quarterback. The Wildcats also have enough talent at the skill positions to put pressure on opposing defenses. Depth and run defense remain concerns, but if Arizona can improve in those areas, it has a chance to compete near the top half of the Big 12.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/5/26 Northern Arizona- Win
9/12/26 At BYU- Win
9/19/26 Northern Illinois- Win
9/26/26 At Washington State- Win
10/3/26 Cincinnati- Win
10/10/26 At West Virginia- Win
10/24/25 Iowa state- Win
10/31/26 At Texas Tech- Loss
11/6/26 TCU- Loss
11/14/26 Utah- Loss
11/21/26 At Kansas state- Loss
11/28/26 Arizona State- Win
