TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – One of the questions coming into spring ball for Arizona: What kind of offense will the Wildcats run?
Offensive Coordinator Dino Babers isn’t in a hurry to answer that question. He said he may not answer it until he sees what the Cats have this spring.
However, it didn’t take long for Babers to see how special Quarterback Noah Fifita is.
“Noah is not normal,” Babers said. “He is not average. He’s above that.”
Arizona fans saw that first hand last season. Fifita stepped in as starting quarterback and elevated the Wildcats to national prominence in a matter of weeks.
“The one thing you realize very quickly is how sharp his mind is,” Babers said. “How accurate he is with the football. How he makes things happen.”
The Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year led the Wildcats to an Alamo Bowl win and their fourth 10-win season ever. He did it while completing 72% of his passes, the only QB in program history to complete more than 70% in a season.
“He may be a better person off the football field than he is on, which is saying something nowadays which the guy being as talented as he is,” Babers said.
Fifita has become the face of the Arizona franchise.
“This year feels a lot different than the last two years going into spring ball,” he said. “Just from a leadership stand point. Having a lot of guys look to me with questions, to have answers.”
The biggest question came in January, when Jedd Fisch took the Washington head coaching position. Players were left wondering what to do.
“The team came together,” Fifita said. “A lot of player-run meetings where individual conversations. At the end of the day, we all made our individual decisions. I think we’ve grown together from it.”
“We built it together,” Offensive Lineman Jonah Savaiinaea said. “We talked to the boys. There’s no reason to leave what we build. Try to continue this so we can move forward.”
Most Wildcats stayed, revealing their decision together during an Arizona Basketball game. This team’s bond stood out to Babers right away.
“I think they’re a family,” Babers said. “I think they’re an Ohana. I think people underestimate how important it is to come in together and leave together. The way they have openly brought in the new coaches that weren’t on the staff last year. To bring them into the family and to get to know them, stop by the offices, it’s amazing.”
The Wildcats hope it’s a strong foundation for what this team can be. Spring practice continues on Tuesday.
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Jenna Fink , www.kvoa.com
www.kvoa.com – Vivrr Local Results in sports of type article , 2024-04-01 01:06:00
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