Arizona Football had one of its most disappointing seasons in program history, but now the offseason is upon us. It is now time to flush that nasty taste in our mouthes and look forward to next year. In the modern landscape of college football, rebuilds can be expedited, teams can improve exponentially in the span of a singular offseason. Here’s 5 things Arizona Football needs to do to get right and get back into contention.
1. Hire an OC with an identity.
The offensive system was essentially nonexistent and had no identity. Head Coach Brent Brennan said as much as he mentioned in multiple pressers throughout the season that he did not know what the identity of this team was. Not knowing your identity in the middle of the season is a massive problem. Even bad teams have identities, a viewer should be able to tell what an offense is trying to accomplish. This scheme was poorly designed and didn’t know what it wanted to be.
An offensive coordinator needs to be hired that knows what he wants to do. The Dino Babers hiring was a massive mistake that cannot be made again. Hiring the right guy for this vacancy is the number one priority this offseason. Babers and Brennan not being able to describe what the identity of the offense was supposed to be was so maddening that I’m at the point to where I don’t care what it is. A power running scheme? Cool. An air raid system that wants to take aggressive shots down field? Great. A motion offense that’s looking to spread the defense out with quick hitters? Nice. Give me some form of identity that’s identifiable. Not knowing what the offense is supposed to be for a second straight season would be unacceptable.
2. Figure out the defensive front.
Arizona in 2023 had a very successful defense and a lot of it had to do with the defensive line and the linebackers. The defensive line had real depth and real size. Being able to go 8 or so deep on the defensive line is the way to go. The best defensive lines in college football have real depth and rotate guys in and out. Being able to have multiple 300 pounders on the field at all times is also huge. This year’s defensive line lacked in size and depth. The losses of Norton, Savea, and others far outweighed the players this staff brought in.
This year’s linebacker group was also lackluster. Between a lack of quality depth and regression of returning players, the linebacking unit was a problem all season. This coupled with having a weak defensive line sunk this year’s defense. Your secondary can’t cover if they have to stay in coverage for 6+ seconds a play. You can’t stop the run if your defensive line can’t plug holes and your linebackers are missing on tackles. Both units need an influx in talent immediately via the portal. The potential loss of star linebacker Jacob Manu heightens this. If there is not multiple immediate impact players for both position groups, expect the same issues to occur this upcoming season defensively.
3. Upgrade the weapons.
The weapons at Noah Fifita’s disposal were simply put, not up to par. The receiving corps outside of Tetairoa McMillan and a late emergence of Chris Hunter was not good enough. There was a drastic drop off after those two. Patterson was thought to be a big time contributor going into the season and ended up not being the guy we thought he was. There were multiple other transfers that were brought in that were not good enough to be P4 contributing players. Every receiver outside of McMillan and Hunter struggled physically at the line of scrimmage and couldn’t get open. It became very easy to stop the passing attack. There are multiple highly touted receivers in this recruiting class but they still need to bring in multiple proven players at this position. You won’t be able to replicate the production and talent of McMillan, but being able to have a deeper and more diverse receiving group is definitely possible. On a side note, tight ends were criminally underused this year.
The running back room was fine but not great. Losing a guy like Jacory Croskey-Merritt to eligibility concerns was a massive blow to the room and the team as a whole. After multiple departures via the transfer portal and graduation, there is a massive need at running back. Kedrick Reescano looked the part of a lead back in his limited opportunities but more pieces are needed in that room. Even the best running backs in college football have at least one other player getting carries. Reescano looks to be a guy who brings the power; the Wildcats should look to bring in a quicker, explosive player to complement him in the backfield through the portal.
4. Figure out the offensive line.
How the offensive line performed as poorly as they did is a mystery. This staff inherited a projected first round pick that can play tackle or guard, a third year starter at guard that looked to have an NFL future, and a fourth year starter at center. Yes there were injuries and other factors that led to losing players. Those excuses only go so far because the players that were there should’ve been more than enough to have a playable offensive line. The line looked out of sorts for the vast majority of the season.
The offensive line looks to be completely different next year which scares me. If it was this bad with the talent they inherited, I’m scared to see what it looks like now that those guys are gone. An improvement must occur within this position group whether that comes from a new coaching philosophy, new players, a new scheme, or a combination of those things, the line cannot perform like they did in 2024 and expect the offense to work. It just won’t. If you can’t protect your quarterback, you can’t pass effectively. If you can’t create holes for your running backs, you can’t run effectively. Somehow, someway, this unit has to improve.
5. Turn up the competitive spirit.
The coaching staff as a whole just did not seem to have a competitive fire. There was no edge. I don’t need to see guys getting chewed out in a manner that isn’t appropriate for TV but I need to see some fight. In press conferences, Brennan comes off as very mellow and doesn’t exude confidence. On the sideline there is no competitive nature and it shows in his decision making. 4th and 2 down 28 around midfield in a rivalry game and you punt? That is a total beta move. That is the equivalent of waiving a white flag. Play to win. Look like you want to win. Give some sort of fire. It’s hard to get up for a coaching staff that’s lackadaisical and isn’t putting up a fight.
While things may seem bleak for the Wildcats, programs can be reinvigorated within a single offseason. Brent Brennan has his work cut out for him both in developing returning pieces but landing new additions to the roster. I have my doubts regarding this coaching staff but am willing to see how they operate in a full offseason.
