The Arizona Wildcats football team on Monday was ranked No. 21 in The Associated Press top 25 preseason poll despite entering a new conference with a new head coach. Expectations are high because the roster is led by a foursome of players with NFL-level talent.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid pinned Arizona as an “under-the-radar team to watch” in reference to their potential for prospects taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Of the 10 teams featured, Oregon was the only other former Pac-12 member to make the cut.
Reid split the prospect-heavy programs into three tiers based on predicted first-rounders and total draftees expected to enter next year’s draft.
Powerhouses Georgia and Ohio State occupied the top two spots in Tier 1, unsurprising as No. 1 and No. 2 in AP’s preseason poll. They’re expected to produce 16 and 14 projected draft picks, respectively.
In total, Reid expects Arizona to produce two first-round players and four overall picks in 2025.
‘Top prospect to know:’ WR Tetairoa McMillan
McMillan, the 6-foot-5 rising junior, has already been graded with great stock this preseason as a fixture of three All-American teams and a candidate for the Biletnikoff and Maxwell awards.
He capped last season with 90 catches and 1,402 receiving yards while finding the end zone 10 times. The projected 2025 first-rounder also averaged 107.8 yards per game, placing fifth in all the FBS.
Reid compared the Wildcat’s wideout to the Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons due to his overall size and versatility. Though the NFL draft expert currently has McMillan as the second wide receiver going off his board to Luther Burden III of Missouri, Reid said he would not be shocked if the Arizona product went No. 1 like London did just two years ago.
‘Sleeper prospect to watch:’ OL Jonah Savaiinaea
Fellow rising junior Savaiinaea was not a recipient of as much preseason attention as McMillan, but the 2023 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention has proven enough at such a valuable position.
Reid said pro scouts are torn on whether the 330-pounder projects as a guard or tackle, but the consensus is he will be a top-40 pick.
Savaiinaea started all 13 games for Arizona last season while only allowing two sacks in 889 snaps. He has played both tackle and guard for the Wildcats and Reid said that type of versatility could significantly increase his draft capital.
Other Wildcat standouts
Quarterback Noah Fifita made huge strides in his first season as a starter for Arizona, collecting 2023 Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
He posted 2,869 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through the air up against only six interceptions. Despite his ability to produce magical plays, Reid said that his smaller size (5-foot-10, 194 pounds) and lack of production in the pocket will limit his ceiling.
Fifita’s 72.4% completion rate in 2023 was the highest in program history, highlighted by a 30-for-41 performance in the Territorial Cup against rival Arizona State in which he tossed for a single-game record 527 yards.
Cornerback Tacario Davis was Reid’s final Wildcat with professional upside. He’s a rising junior who was an 2023 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
Like McMillan, he achieved national notoriety thanks to last year’s campaign, as he finished tied for fourth in pass breakups with 14. Reid credited Davis’ “lanky body structure” for his success and projection as a late first or early second-round pick.
Davis also closed out his sophomore season with a career-high 25 total tackles and appeared in all 13 games.
