Arizona may be the rare team that benefits from not making much noise before the season starts.
Even after a 9-win year and with reigning All-Big 12 quarterback Noah Fifita back in the picture, the Wildcats are sitting well outside the preseason Top 25 and drawing only a modest share of the national conversation. That’s not the kind of treatment that usually follows a team with real upside, but it does fit the way Arizona is being viewed heading into 2026: good, maybe very good, but not the kind of team people are rushing to crown.
That showed up in a recent CBS Sports piece, “Big 12 expert picks 2026: Most overrated and underrated teams, projected order of finish, bold predictions,” where Arizona appeared only in the standings table, landing anywhere from fifth to eighth. ESPN’s conference preview gave the Wildcats a bit more shine, including a spot in two of the best games of 2026 and a label as a team that is “a couple of breaks away from a run.”
That’s probably about right.
Arizona has enough going for it to avoid being brushed off, but not enough certainty around it to make a conference-title pick feel natural. From a national angle, that can read as unremarkable. From Tucson, it’s a decent place to be.
Without a Khalil Tate on the roster, Arizona is unlikely to generate the kind of preseason buzz that comes with being slotted in the top 10 or even the top 15. The hype machine is not exactly revving for the Wildcats, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Hype doesn’t put points on the board. It only creates pressure.
There are expectations here, just not the kind that suggest Arizona is about to rewrite anything. The current read is simple: the Wildcats should be competitive, should win more than they lose, and would need a lot to break right if they want to push all the way to the top of the Big 12 or into the College Football Playoff.
That doesn’t mean the ceiling is gone. Arizona should still be aiming high. It just means the odds of getting there are long unless the program finds something far bigger than momentum - the kind of financial backing that could change the entire picture.
Until then, being overlooked might be the smartest thing going for the Wildcats. Around this program, big expectations have not always aged well, and history has a way of shaping how people see the present.
So maybe this is the sweet spot: good enough to matter, quiet enough to keep the noise down.
With the 2026 season only days away, Arizona enters with believers, just not a flood of them. For a fan base that’s been through enough to know the difference, that may be enough to start with.
In Other News...
Arizonas Opener Just Put The Wildcats Biggest Strength Under A Spotlight
The season-opening depth chart offered a clear look at where Arizona stands heading into the opener, and it starts with continuity. The Wildcats have a far larger group of familiar faces back in starting roles than they did a year ago, a sign that the program is leaning on experience as it settles into the new season. There are some newcomers mixed in, mostly on special teams, and a handful of freshmen also cracked the chart, but the overall picture is a roster that looks far more established than one still trying to find itself.
Noah Fifita remains at the center of that stability, and his presence gives Arizona a steady hand at the most important spot on the field. The quarterback is set to make his 35th consecutive start, a run that underscores just how much the Wildcats can count on him as the opener arrives. The deeper question now is how well that returning core translates once the games begin, because depth charts can hint at comfort, but they do not answer how quickly all that continuity turns into production. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas First Depth Chart Brings Relief And A Few Early Questions
Arizonas first depth chart for the 2026 season offered an early look at how much continuity the Wildcats are bringing back, and it starts with the offense. Noah Fifita is back at quarterback, Ismail Mahdi returns at running back, and the group also includes two transfers among the projected starters, a sign that the staff is blending familiar pieces with a few needed additions before the opener against NAU on Sept. 5.
The bigger question now is how quickly the new faces settle into the spots that matter most, especially up front and in the secondary. Arizona listed 23 starters or co-starters and brought back 18 players from last season, but the depth chart still has some fresh combinations to sort through, including new special teams starters in punter Chase Ridley and long snapper Drew Nicolson. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Opens With A Trap Fans Shouldnt Overlook
Northern Arizonas season opener offered the sort of warning sign Arizona fans tend to notice only after the game is over. NAU fell behind by a wide margin, then settled in and found enough offense to turn the matchup around, with Ty Pennington handling the workload through the air and on the ground while helping drive the Lumberjacks back into contention.
For the Wildcats, the part worth watching is how NAUs best moments came after the initial hole, not before it. Pennington was efficient enough to keep the chains moving, and the supporting cast on defense did its share too, with safety Shoes Brinkley and defensive lineman Jackson Murray both active all over the field in the opener. [Read more 🡒]