How Arizona players graded during the 2024 season, per Pro Football Focus

The 2024 season is officially in the books for Arizona, and it was a bad one. At 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the inaugural year in the Big 12, the Wildcats saw their win total plummet by six games from the 10-3 mark of 2023, matching the largest season-over-season decrease in school history.

Looking at the UA’s Pro Football Focus grades, it’s easy to see why, as Arizona dipped in almost every category.

The Wildcats’ season grade of 75.6 ranked 104^th out of 134 FBS schools, down from the 90.8 in 2023 that was tied for 16th-best. A year after having the 8th-best offense in the country, Arizona ranked 83^rd, and on defense it went from 54^th to 123^rd.

Only the UA’s special teams grade improved, thanks mostly to kicker Tyler Loop and his NFL leg. The Wildcats ranked 48^th after being 62^nd last season.

The UA’s best-graded game this fall was the first one, the 61-39 victory over New Mexico in Brent Brennan’s debut, which earned an 88.7. The worst: 50.6 for the 56-12 loss at UCF, the program’s lowest-graded game since 2021.

While there were many factors that contributed to the rough 2024 season, one that played a big role was injuries and other circumstances that kept players out of action. Only 12 offensive and defensive starters from the opener logged at least half the snaps for the season, with the starting 11 on defense playing only 49.4 percent of snaps.

Defensive captains Jacob Manu, Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes, each of whom suffered season-ending injuries, combined for only 743 snaps in 2024 compared to 2,129 last year.

Below is a breakdown of how Arizona’s players graded individually.

Offense

Most snaps: LT Jonah Savaiinaea (738 of 744), QB Noah Fifita (729), LG Wendell Moe Jr. (702), C Josh Baker (677), WR Tetairoa McMillan (669)

Highest overall grades (at least 100 snaps): McMillan (84.7 on 669 snaps), Fifita (75.9 on 729), Savaiinaea (74.2 on 738), RB Quali Conley (74.0 on 505), TE Keyan Burnett (73.9 on 287)

Best passing grades: McMillan (85.4 on 455 passing snaps), Fifita (73.4 on 479), Burnett (71.4 on 186), WR Chris Hunter (67,4 on 244), Conley (63.1 on 223)

Best pass-blocking grades: OL Leif Magnuson (90.1 on 51 pass-blocking snaps), Moe (86.0 on 453), Baker (84.2 on 449), Savaiinaea (83.4 on 478), OL Alexander Doost (76.0 on 370)

Best running grades: Conley (77.0 on 145 run snaps), RB Kedrick Reescano (74.1 on 68)

Best run-blocking grades: FB Kayden Luke (77.0 on 28 run-blocking snaps), Burnett (74.3 on 86), TE Tyler Powell (67.2 on 43), TE Roberto Miranda (65.2 on 102), Hunter (63.9 on 105)

Defense

Most snaps: DB Genesis Smith (749 of 804), LB Taye Brown (704), CB Tacario Davis (684), S Dalton Johnson (681), DB Owen Goss (583)

Highest overall grades (at least 100 snaps): G Smith (71.9 on 749 snaps), CB Treydan Stukes (70.7 on 195), DE Tre Smith (70.2 on 566), Goss (66.8 on 583), S Gunner Maldonado (64.1 on 190)

Best tackling grades: CB Demetrius Freeney (81.0 on 69 snaps), Davis (77.0 on 684), DT Chubba Ma’ae (76.5 on 139), DE Lance Keneley (74.0 on 217), D Johnson (70.4 on 681)

Best run defense grades: Stukes (73.5 on 77 run defense snaps), G Smith (72.1 on 349), DE Sterling Lane II (69.9 on 89), DT Kevon Darton (69.7 on 80), Maldonado (68.7 on 76)

Best pass rushing grades: Brown (71.8 on 68 pass rushing snaps), T Smith (70.9 on 306), DL Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (67.4 on 292), DE Chase Kennedy (66.2 on 168), Keneley (63.6 on 94)

Best coverage grades: Kennedy (76.3 on 33 coverage snaps), G Smith (71.7 on 394), Stukes (69.7 on 117), LB Kamuela Ka’aihue (69.3 on 50), Goss (65.8 on 276)

Special teams

Most snaps: Ka’aihue (177), Jack Luttrell (154), Gavin Hunter (141), Brown (140), Tyler Mustain (137)

Best overall grades: G Smith (76.2 on 133 snaps), Mustain (75.8 on 137), Goss (75.1 on 94), Rex Haynes (74.1 on 71), K Luke (71.5 on 72)