College Football Previews #85 and #86 - Arizona and Arizona State
Arizona hopes to qualify for a Bowl Game this season for the first time since 2017. Head Coach Jedd Fisch enters his 3rd season at the helm with moderate expectations. Expect improvement on the Defensive side of the ball as the Wildcats have added seven defensive transfers while the Offense returns most of their production from 2022. Arizona welcomes back eight starters on Offense including three starters on the Offensive Line. The Wide Receiving Unit brings back two starters in senior Jacob Cowing and sophomore Tetairoa McMillan. Junior Quarterback Jayden de Laura - another returning starter - could become a Heisman Trophy candidate if he can reduce his turnovers this season. Senior Running Back Michael Wiley - yet another returning starter - is poised for a huge season and will be spelled by sophomore Jonah Coleman. Senior Tight End Tanner McLachlan - the final returning starter on Offense - gives the team another reliable option in the passing game. Arizona only returns three starters on Defense and no starters on the Defensive Line which will need several veterans to play bigger roles including a pair of sophomore Defensive Ends in Russell Davis II and Jacob Kongaika. The Linebacking Unit only brings back one starter in sophomore Linebacker Jacob Manu and will need junior Linebacker Justin Flowe (Oregon transfer) to make an immediate impact. The Secondary welcomes back two starters in junior Cornerback Treydan Stukes and junior Safety Gunner Maldonado. The Special Teams Unit returns intact with junior Kicker Tyler Loop and senior Punter Kyle Ostendorp both back. Arizona has an extremely difficult schedule from beginning to end including Conference road games at USC, at Washington State, and at Colorado. The Wildcats also travel to Mississippi State in mid September for a tough Non-Conference game. I predict Arizona to go 6-7 and finish in 8th place in the Pac 12 Conference. The Wildcats will play hard and will catch a few teams off guard this season. Arizona will lose their Bowl Game but will have a great season nonetheless. Look out for Arizona in 2024 - the Wildcats could claw their way to a spot in the Pac 12 Championship Game.
Arizona State faces an uphill battle after going 3-9 in 2022 and adding 25 new players via the Transfer Portal. Head Coach Kenny Dillingham enters his 1st season at the helm with low expectations. With eight home games on the 2023 schedule the Sun Devils becoming Bowl Eligible isn't impossible. Arizona State welcomes back five starters on Offense including two starters on the Offensive Line. The Wide Receiving Unit returns two starters in senior Giovanni Sanders and junior Elijhah Badger. Sophomore Quarterback Drew Pyne (Notre Dame transfer) will battle senior Trenton Bourguet to determine who will be the Sun Devils starting signal caller this season. Junior Running Back Cameron Skattebo (Sacramento State transfer) will share carries with sophomore Tevin White to form a solid backfield. Senior Tight End Messiah Swinson - the final returning starter on Offense - will provide the Team with another Red Zone threat. Arizona State also returns five starters on Defense including one starter on the Defensive Line in senior Defensive Tackle Anthonie Cooper. The Linebacking Unit doesn't bring back any starters and will need several transfers to make an immediate impact - most notably senior Middle Linebacker Travion Brown (Washington State transfer). The Secondary returns four starters and will be anchored by a pair of shutdown junior Cornerbacks in Ro Torrence and Ed Woods. The Special Teams Unit is experienced but new to Tempe with senior Kicker Dario Longhetto (California transfer) and senior Punter Josh Carlson (New Mexico State transfer) handling the Kicking and Punting duties respectively. Arizona State will be hard pressed to qualify for a Bowl Game in 2023 with all the new faces that have arrived in the past 9 months. The Sun Devils have an extremely tough schedule with road games at Washington, at Utah, and at UCLA along with a Non-Conference game against Oklahoma State in early September. I predict Arizona State to go 4-8 and finish in 11th place in the Pac 12 Conference. The Sun Devils won't be Bowl Eligible this season but could qualify for Postseason play again in 2024 if everything breaks right.
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