5 Arizona Wildcats to know ahead of the Valero Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma’s final game of the 2023 season will see them return to San Antonio for the second time in three years. The last time the Sooners were there, they were coached by legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Brent Venables will wrap up his second campaign as the head man at Oklahoma, returning to San Antonio to take on the Arizona Wildcats, led by head coach Jedd Fisch.
This season has been a much better experience than his inaugural one, and Venables will look for his first bowl win as a head coach. To get that, the Sooners will have to take down a tough Arizona team that finished 9-3 and third in an ultra-competitive Pac-12. Fisch has a hungry team that certainly is talented, with 13 players receiving all-conference honors.
Oklahoma would be wise to check their egos at the door and remain humble. Arizona won’t roll over, and if the Sooners approach this game taking the Wildcats lightly, they may get run off the field.
Arizona has a surplus of impact upperclassmen coupled with Pac-12 Freshman of the Year quarterback Noah Fifita.
Let’s look at Arizona and break down some key Wildcats ahead of Thursday’s Alamo Bowl.
Jacob Manu, LB
Jacob Manu was one of the best defenders in the Pac-12 this season, as he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Manu is a classic case of an overlooked player in the recruiting process. He was a former three-star with less than 10 FBS offers.
For Arizona, he is everything. He finished with 108 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and an interception. He’s undersized, as he isn’t even 6-foot, but he masks that with terrific sideline-to-sideline speed, quick and decisive eyes, and a solid ability to diagnose on all three downs.
With Oklahoma down some of their veteran starters along the offensive line and starting a young quarterback in Jackson Arnold, having a keen eye on Manu will go a long way in determining this contest.
Noah Fifita, QB
Noah Fifita is an ascending player in college football. He’ll be one of the more talented quarterbacks in the Big 12 next season, and rightfully so. This year, he earned Pac 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,515 yards and 23 touchdowns. He took over midseason for an injured Jayden De Laura and never relinquished the spot.
He’s a calm and collected redshirt freshman quarterback who, with the help of his teammates and coaches, became a surgeon against the blitz. He was No. 5 in the nation with 14 touchdowns against the blitz. That’s fifth most amongst Power Five competition behind the likes of Jayden Daniels (2023 Heisman winner), Bo Nix (Heisman finalist), and Caleb Williams (2022 Heisman winner.)
He won’t be rattled and will enter this game with more experience than Jackson Arnold. Fifita is a very accurate passer and has no problems using his feet to extend plays to make throws downfield.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR
Fifita’s favorite target on his way to winning Offensive Freshman of the Year in the Pac 12? Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan was second-team All-Pac-12 after hauling 80 passes for 1,242 yards, good for fourth all-time in school history. His ten touchdown receptions tied for the sixth-most in a single season in program history. McMillan is a talented sophomore, and at 6-foot-5, he will be a matchup nightmare for Oklahoma defensive backs. Thursday’s game feels like a spot where true freshman Jacobe Johnson sees more snaps. He has the requisite height to match McMillan on the outside at 6-foot-4.
Tetairoa McMillan was named to the Associated Press (AP) All-America third team and is a top 100 prospect in the 2025 draft should he decide to declare after next season.
He has an incredible catch radius and terrific flexibility to turn, bend, and break down defenders in and out of his breaks. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest he’s one of the best skill talents Oklahoma will face this year.
Tacario Davis, CB
At cornerback, the Wildcats have another long, athletic, and rangy NFL prospect. Tacario Davis has been one of the best cornerbacks in the country. His numbers and production stand up against the fact that he played in a pass-heavy conference like the Pac-12, which makes it even more impressive. He was the PAC-12 leader in pass breakups with 13, stands 6-foot-2, and would be a first-team All-Pac-12 selection if not for three or four dropped interceptions. Instead, he garnered All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors. But make no mistake, he’s an excellent corner.
Joe Borjon, OT
Joe Borjon isn’t listed here because of his accomplishments but more so because of the person he’s replacing.
Borjon is responsible for filling in for Jordan Morgan, the Wildcats’ terrific left tackle who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Morgan is likely to come off the board in the first 100 picks. There’s going to be a dropoff in quality to a certain degree.
Will Oklahoma be able to exploit that difference? Borjon has had multiple practices with his teammates to formulate a plan of attack to handle the games the Sooners will likely throw his way as they try to generate pressure on Fifita. How Borjon takes on Oklahoma’s edge rushers and blitz games could be a significant factor in this game.
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