The state of Arizona Wildcats Football heading into 2022

Jeffrey Ritchie

Photo: University of Arizona Athletics

Arizona Football was embroiled in substandard play this past season, continuing a tradition of inferior play that has befallen the team ever since the magical Khalil Tate season in 2017. The school has won only one game over the past two years, and to most the future looks bleak. However, once you start to dive deeper you notice the Wildcats have a chance to quickly get back to their winning ways. Today, I will tell you why the Wildcats should be a team you should look for this fall.

The Jedd Fisch Effect

If you browse Fisch’s coaching career, you will first see that he is greatly influenced by great coaches. Sean McVay, Steve Spurrier, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan, and Bill Belichick are the most notable names that come to mind. Throughout his various stops at the college and NFL ranks, Fisch has been mentored by many experienced and accomplished coaches. He also served as Cam Newton’s QB coach in his lone season as the Patriots’ QB Coach, showing that he has experience with elite quarterbacks

Transfers and Recruiting

Fisch has also been bringing in additional talent through the NCAA Transfer Portal and recruiting. A year after finishing second to last in the Pac-12 in recruiting, Fisch and his staff reeled off an impressive jump to the number two spot in the Pac-12 for 2022’s recruiting cycle. They managed to snag five 4-star recruits, including Tetairoa McMillan, the #51 player in the nation on the 247Sports Composite. What’s even more impressive is the fashion in which they acquired him. They stole the Anaheim native right out of USC’s lap, securing the best recruit in school history. In fact, thirteen of the Wildcats’ twenty-two 2022 commits are from California. Fisch has been very busy, visiting many schools across California and trying to establish a pipeline in the Golden State. With the proximity of Arizona to California, they have a strong chance to sway recruits who would like to stay closer to home as opposed to teams who are farther away from the West Coast. As if Fisch didn’t add enough in recruitment, he also managed to land eight transfers, including Jayden De Laura and Jacob Cowing. De Laura, a former top 500 recruit, is the early favorite to be the Wildcats’ starting Quarterback. Throwing 23 passing TDs with only 9 INTs last season, he has proven himself to be a stable QB with only 16 games of starting experience. Thus, look for him to succeed in the Jedd Fisch offense. His favorite target will likely be Cowing, a star wide receiver for the UTEP Miners this past season. A junior in 2021, Cowing had over 1,300 receiving yards and 7 TDs. Another player who could step up is Hunter Echols, a former top 150 recruit who played a lot during his four seasons at USC. He will immediately step into a leadership role for the Wildcats. Besides these three, another promising aspect of the Wildcats’ various transfer pickups is that they mostly haven’t used up much eligibility and are eligible immediately.

The Downfall of Arizona State

Another factor that goes into the future success of Arizona is the downfall of Arizona State. Arizona State has dominated their rival the past five seasons, climaxing in 2020 when the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats by a staggering score of 70-7. However, they aren’t in a prime position to win with all of the recruiting violations occurring at the school. They have also lost multiple players to the transfer portal, including starting QB Jayden Daniels. The team has been firing coaches as well, indicating that they are in hot water with the NCAA. Arizona can capitalize on this and overtake their arch-rivals this season.

It's About Time

The Wildcats have had their moments over the years but haven’t been elite. The last time the Wildcats consistently won games was the Rich Rod era of the mid-2010s. They haven’t amounted to much since their 10-win season in 2014. They have been the cellar dweller of the Pac-12, but it feels as if the culture is changing. Tucson is a place players want to go, and they are starting to draw high-profile recruits and transfers, indicating some form of hope. Arizona has never recruited like this, showing that this is a time they can establish themself among the Pac-12 elites. There is no clear leader in the Pac-12, as USC is rebuilding, and Utah has always been just short of being a great team. Both Colorado and California have not been good for quite some time, and ASU’s struggles are coming to light. Also, there is uncertainty in the Pac-12’s North division with both Oregon and Washington going through coaching changes. This time is the best time for Jedd Fisch and crew to take the West and step into the national spotlight.

Conclusion

The Wildcats are going to be a decent team next season. They won’t blow the doors off of anyone, but that isn’t what is important. What Arizona is looking for is improvement before ascent. They don’t expect to win 10 games or sign the top class, but they will look to get better every week with a more explosive offense and stouter defense. At the least, they should be a fun team to watch with a chance to make a splash with a weak Pac-12 and a stronger roster than Arizona has seen in years.