Arizona Wildcats Football Offseason Preview

In 2021, Jedd Fisch began his head coaching career after numerous stops as a position coach or coordinator in college football. He inherited an Arizona program which was a complete mess, left in shambles by previous head coach Kevin Sumlin, who lost the trust of his players as shown by a humiliating 70-7 loss to rival Arizona State at the end of a miserable 2020 season. Fisch wasn’t going to prove much in year one. He had to see what he was up against, take his lumps over the course of the year, and begin to build a foundation for the future. Industry experts who follow college football closely think Fisch has succeeded.

Fisch and Arizona pulled in a highly-rated recruiting class. Arizona won some recruiting battles against Oregon and showed that it can attract players from all over the Western United States. Now Fisch has to show that he can turn that recruiting prowess into actual on-field results. There are plenty of coaches in the country who recruit well but then don’t coach their talent to the extent they need to. Fisch faces this particular proving ground heading into the 2022 season at Arizona.

Jayden de Laura, the quarterback who transferred from Washington State but stayed in the Pac-12 Conference, will be looked to as the possible savior of this Arizona offense and a key source of a successful season. That’s where the conversation surrounding this team begins, but it is not where the conversation will end.

Key Personnel Lost

The Wildcats didn’t really have any big personnel losses to speak of in a year when they placed no players in the NFL draft and sat at the bottom of the Pac-12 Conference standings all season long. The story of the 2021 Arizona team is not that it failed to make use of its talent; the story is that there was very little talent to speak of in the first place. This program is starting from scratch in 2022. It’s hard to lose something of value when nothing valuable originally exists.

Important Incoming Freshmen

Receiver Tetairoa McMillan came to Tucson, giving Arizona and Fisch a huge recruiting win in a battle with Oregon. That particular victory on the recruiting trail gave Arizona national attention and showed everyone what Fisch is capable of doing in terms of landing higher-quality players. This was a conversation-changing recruit who will now try to do more talking with his level of play and the results he brings to Arizona football.

Running back Rayshon Luke and safety Ephensians Prysock are other crucial additions to a touted recruiting class which, experts think, will boost Arizona a little bit this year and even more in 2023. There is finally a belief that Arizona has upgraded its roster, but potential needs to become actualized reality this season.

Key Position Battles

There really aren’t many positions where Arizona knows what to expect. Quarterback might be the only exception. That position is clear with de Laura in charge. Every other position group needs clarity and guidance. The coaching staff has a lot of work to do.

Biggest Offseason Goal(s)

The recruiting performance of this coaching staff was superb. Now comes the big task: player development. It’s that simple. The Arizona coaches need to develop players and get the most out of their ability. The Wildcats need to improve this year and lay a foundation for the future beyond 2022.