Redshirt junior QB eyes Maxwell honor after back-to-back watch list selections
TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona’s starting quarterback Noah Fifita has once again been named to the Maxwell Award watch list, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday, marking his second straight appearance on the preseason roster.
Now in its 89th year, the Maxwell Award honors college football’s most outstanding player. Fifita, a redshirt junior who took over the Wildcats’ offense midway through 2023, first earned watch list recognition last season.
As a true freshman in 2023, Fifita threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns after stepping onto the field mid-campaign. He built on that breakout with 2,958 passing yards and 18 scores in 2024. Across 27 career outings, he’s completed 65 percent of his throws for 5,955 yards and 44 touchdowns—ranking eighth in program history in both categories.
Maxwell semifinalists will be announced November 11, 2025, with the three finalists revealed November 25. The winner of the 89th Maxwell Award will be unveiled December 11 during ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards, and formally presented March 13, 2026, at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in Atlanta.
Arizona opens the 2025 season at home against the Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, August 30.
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