6 Arizona players earn Phil Steele preseason Big 12 honors
· Yahoo Sports
Six players from the Arizona football squad have earned All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele Magazine heading into the 2026 season. The group is highlighted by senior Heisman contender quarterback Noah Fifita who earned first team honors.
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Redshirt junior offensive lineman Alexander Doost, senior linebacker Taye Brown, and redshirt senior defensive back Jay’Vion Cole were named to the second team. Sophomore defensive lineman Mays Pese and redshirt senior Chase Kennedy earned fourth team honors.
Fifita enters his final season as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 73. Last season, he had 29 touchdown passes (most in UA single season) and 3,228 passing yards. Fifita was also productive on the ground with 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Doost played 878 snaps on offense last season and finished with a 75.7 pass blocking grade according to PFF. Brown had 93 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss to go along with an interception, fumble recovery, and forced fumble.
Cole returns as one of the most talented corners in the conference. He had 23 tackles, four interceptions, and a pick-six. As a freshman, Pese had 24 tackles and with a second offseason with defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, he is poised for a breakout season.
Kennedy finished last season with 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. All six Wildcats will be big contributors to how successful the season could be for Arizona.
Arizona’s schedule is highlighted by two road games against the Big 12 championship teams from last season in Texas Tech and BYU. Other highlights include the road game at former Pac-12 for Washington State and the homecoming game against Iowa State where Arizona will also be celebrating the 100 year anniversary of “Bear Down.”
Of course, the most anticipated game of the season is the Territorial Cup matchup against ASU. The Wildcats will look to keep the Territorial Cup in Tucson for a second consecutive season, while also earning the fourth win in five seasons against the Sun Devils.
All the anticipation and excitement will be settled on Sept. 5 when Arizona opens the season against NAU for Native American Heritage night. The full game themes schedule and fan color coordination can be found here.