Arizona redshirt sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita and star junior wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan have been named to the preseason Maxwell Award watch list.Â
The Maxwell Award is a national award presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the best player in college football. Every winner of the Maxwell Award has won the Heisman Trophy in the same season besides Tua Tagovailoa (2018) and Michael Penix Jr. (2023).Â
Fifita, who was also the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Football Writer’s Association of American National Offensive Freshman of the Year, concluded his first season as Arizona’s starter with 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.4% of his pass attempts. The Huntington Beach, California native is the only UA quarterback in program history to complete over 70% of his passes in a season.
After taking over for the injured Jayden de Laura during Arizona’s come-from-behind win at Stanford to begin Pac-12 play last season, Fifita went 7-2 as the starter, and led the Wildcats on a seven-game winning streak to end the season; the two losses to Washington and USC were by a combined nine points. Fifita stamped his breakout regular season with a school- and Territorial Cup-record 527 yards through the air along with five touchdowns in a blowout win over rival ASU in Tempe.
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In Arizona’s win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, Fifita passed for 354 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, the second-most passing yards in a bowl game in program history.
McMillan, who is the highest-rated signee in Arizona football history in the modern recruiting era, will enter his third season as a mainstay in Arizona's offense.Â
McMillan ended his sophomore campaign with the second-most receiving yards (1,402) in a season by a UA receiver. McMillan’s career-high happened in the 2023 Territorial Cup game, an 11-catch, 266-yard, one-touchdown performance in a 36-point win over Arizona State. McMillan was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection and received third-team Associated Press All-American honors. This offseason, McMillan has garnered preseason Athlon Sports All-American honors and was named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele.
Arizona kicks off the 2024 season against New Mexico at Arizona Stadium on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.Â
The Star's Justin Spears and Michael Lev discuss notable headlines and burning questions surrounding the Arizona Wildcats football program as of May 14, 2024. Are the additions made in the transfer portal enough? Plus, the guys answer Twitter (X) mailbag questions and talk about UA baseball's upcoming series against Oregon State, the last Pac-12 event in Tucson. (Video by Justin Spears / ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV)
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
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