Blog Article
Is Brennan’s Ship Already Sinking? The Arizona Wildcats 2025 Football Preview Reveals Hard Truths
Brent Brennan’s Arizona Wildcats sit at a brutal crossroads heading into 2025.
After inheriting a 10-win team that had just claimed an Alamo Bowl victory, Brennan steered the program straight into an iceberg during his debut season. The wreckage was spectacular:
- A disastrous 4-8 record (2-7 in Big 12 play)
- Six fewer wins than the previous season
- Embarrassing blowout losses, including a 49-7 humiliation against rival Arizona State
- A complete collapse from a preseason #21 ranking to irrelevance
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Brennan’s coaching record portrays mediocrity.
His career .404 winning percentage (37-56) tells a story that Arizona fans desperately hoped wouldn’t repeat itself in Tucson. At San Jose State, Brennan established a clear pattern:
- First two seasons: Abysmal (2-11, 1-11)
- Middle seasons: Marginal improvement, but still losing records
- One outlier 7-1 season during pandemic-shortened 2020
- Return to mediocrity in subsequent seasons
When you strip away the coaching speak and recruiting rankings, you’re left with a simple truth: Brennan has never sustained success at any point in his career.
Key Players to Watch in 2025
The quarterback battle will dominate early headlines and could define Arizona’s ceiling.
With Noah Fifita’s inconsistent performance in 2024, all eyes will be on these signal-callers:
- Braedyn Locke (Wisconsin transfer): Brings Big Ten experience and pocket poise that could stabilize the offense
- Sawyer Robinson (Freshman): The Dallas-area record-setter has tremendous upside as the potential future of the program
- Robert McDaniel (4-star recruit): Another high-ceiling freshman who could surprise in competition
At running back, the offense desperately needs a spark:
- Ismail Mahdi (Texas State transfer): The home-run threat who averaged over 5 yards per carry across two seasons
- Mike Mitchell (Transfer): Provides needed depth and power running to complement Mahdi’s explosiveness
The receiver room must replace Tetairoa McMillan’s production:
- Kris Hutson (Washington State transfer): Expected to be the new WR1 with his speed and route-running precision
- Tre Spivey (Kansas State transfer): At 6’4″, brings the size element missing from other receiver options
- Luke Wysong (New Mexico transfer): Coming off a productive season with 69 receptions for 840 yards
Defensively, watch these potential difference-makers:
- Blake Gotcher (Northwestern State transfer): The tackling machine (162 tackles in 2024) who must immediately shore up run defense
- Tiaoalii Savea (Texas transfer): Expected to provide immediate impact on the defensive line
- Jay’Vion Cole (Texas transfer): Cornerback who must stabilize a secondary that struggled last season
- Zac Siulepa (Freshman DL): The massive 6’7″, 350-pound New Zealand native with immense potential
What Should Fans Look For?
The spring showcase on April 19th will provide the first authentic glimpses of what’s to come.
Early signs to monitor:
- Offensive scheme transformation: How drastically will new OC Seth Doege change the offensive approach? Watch for formation variations, tempo changes, and how the running game is incorporated.
- Quarterback hierarchy: Which QB takes first-team reps early will indicate the initial pecking order, though expect this battle to extend through fall camp.
- Defensive front seven improvements: The most glaring weakness last season was stopping the run. Watch how new DL coach Joe Salave’a reorganizes the front seven and whether the tackling fundamentals improve.
- Transfer integration: With 25+ transfers, team chemistry could be an issue. Watch for natural leadership emerging from the transfer group.
- Special teams emphasis: Often overlooked, but poor special teams play cost Arizona in multiple close games last season. Any visible changes here would signal a comprehensive program rebuilding.
Once the season begins, these benchmarks will determine success:
For Arizona fans, the 2025 season isn’t just about wins and losses – it’s about seeing tangible evidence that the program is moving in the right direction.
After the regression of 2024, even competitive losses that show fight and execution would represent progress over last season’s frequent blowouts.
The Portal Hail Mary: 53 New Players for 2025
If there’s one area where Brennan deserves credit, it’s that he recognizes that a total roster overhaul was necessary.
This offseason brought a staggering 53 new players to the program:
- 23 high school recruits
- 5 community college transfers
- 25 four-year transfers (ranked 15th nationally by Rivals)
The transfer additions specifically target glaring weaknesses:
- RB Ismail Mahdi (Texas State): 2,300+ yards over two seasons
- WR Kris Hutson (Washington State): A proven big-play threat
- QB Braedyn Locke (Wisconsin): Potential starter with P5 experience
- LB Blake Gotcher (Northwestern State): Led Division I with 162 tackles
- OL help from Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech
The coaching staff also received a makeover with Seth Doege (OC) and Joe Salave’a (DL/associate HC), who brought fresh perspectives to a program desperate for new ideas.
A Schedule With No Mercy
Arizona opens at home against Hawaii on August 30th before welcoming Weber State on September 6th.
The conference schedule offers no relief:
- Road games against Iowa State (11-3 last season), Houston, Colorado, Cincinnati, and rival ASU
- Home matchups with Oklahoma State, BYU, Kansas, and Baylor
- Two bye weeks (September 20 and October 25) that could provide crucial adjustment periods
This schedule offers no soft landing spots for a coach already on the hot seat.
The Bottom Line: It’s Bowl or Bust
Brennan’s track record suggests a coach destined to hover around mediocrity rather than build a consistent winner.
His career pattern shows brief flashes of potential surrounded by long stretches of underperformance. The 2020 pandemic season at San Jose State looks increasingly like an anomaly rather than evidence of building prowess.
For Arizona fans, the bar for 2025 is painfully clear: reaching bowl eligibility (6-6) would represent significant progress. Anything less likely means another coaching search by December.
The countdown to August 30th has already begun — perhaps the final chapter of the brief Brennan era in Tucson.
