Fifita, McMillan, Manu, and Maldonado join Head Coach Brent Brennan at Big 12 Media Days

Football
07/01/2024

Arizona Athletics

TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona football program has announced today that Head Coach Brent Brennan will be joined by quarterback Noah Fifitawide receiver Tetairoa McMillanlinebacker Jacob Manuand safety Gunner Maldonado at Allegiant Stadium for Big 12 Media Day on July 10.

The Wildcats enter the 2024 season with returning talent from a team that won seven straight games to end last season ranked No. 11 by the final AP Poll. Head Coach Brent Brennan appears at his first Big 12 Media Day alongside four key returning players from a 10-win season in 2023. ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will provide television coverage beginning at 10 am MST on Wednesday and 10:30 am MST on Thursday.

Fifita set a new program single-season record with a 72.4 completion percentage in 2024 and led the Wildcats on a run of seven straight wins to finish out the campaign. He was named Pac-12 Freshman of The Year following the successful campaign and was key in the return of talented contributors on both sides of the ball for the upcoming season. Fifita threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions over nine starts during his first full season of action with the Wildcats last season.

McMillan recorded the second-most receiving yards (1,402) and receptions (90) in program history in 2023. He also tied for the 8th-most touchdown receptions further cementing himself in Wildcats lore. This outstanding performance came on the heels of setting the program’s freshman record in single-season receiving yards (702) in 2022. He enters the 2024 season with the 8th most career-receiving yards in program history (2,104) and the 8th most career- touchdown receptions (18) in Arizona football history.

manually led the Pac-12 with 116 tackles and earned AP First-Team All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 First-Team honors following the 2023 season. Manu was named Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week twice during the 2023 season and was named a member of the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List in August 2023. He led all linebackers and was second on the team in tackles for loss in 2023 (9.5 for -58 yards) and second on the team in sacks (6.5).

Maldonado was a team captain in 2023 and earned Defensive MVP following the 38-24 win over No. 12 Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl. He returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown in the win over the Sooners. The senior posted a career-high 81 tackles in 2023 and helped lead the resurgence of a secondary that forced 19 turnovers last season.

The Wildcats will participate in Day 2 of the Big 12 Media Days alongside representatives from Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, BYU, UCF, Baylor, and Houston on July 10.

Big 12 Media Day takes place at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on July 9-10.

Arizona opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 at 7:30 pm MST against New Mexico at Arizona Stadium on ESPN.