The 2017 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 2017 season. The season was the Wildcats's 118th overall, 40th as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, seventh within the Pac-12 South Division, and the sixth and final year under head coach Rich Rodriguez. The team played their home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona for the 89th straight year.
They finished the regular season with a 7–5, 5–4 in Pac-12 play to finish in third place in the South Division, making it into a bowl game. They were invited to the Foster Farms Bowl where they faced Purdue, losing 35–38. Rich Rodriguez was fired after 6 seasons with Arizona. After Rich Rodriguez was fired, Kevin Sumlin was named the Wildcats' new full-time head coach on January 14, 2018.
The Wildcats would lose twenty-nine (twenty seniors due graduation) football players. The Wildcats would lose nine more players from the 2016 team due to various reasons (transfers and withdrawals will be filled out once spring practice occurs). Notable departures from the 2016 squad included.
The Wildcats signed 39 players including 10 HS walk-on players, 24 high school recruits, 3 JC transfers from junior colleges and 1 transfers were from NCAA Division I (FBS) programs. Five of the recruits were already enrolled for the spring, 2017 semester while 24 signed letters of intent on National Signing Day is February 3, 2017. Arizona is combined to be a unanimous top-25 class, ranked as high as (#21 by Scout, #15 by Rivals, #26 by ESPN, and #23 by 247) and finish top-5 in the Pac-12 recruitment class (#4 by 247, #4 by Scout, #4 by ESPN, and #4 by Rivals).
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In addition to the 2017 recruiting class, Arizona did add four transfers, which includes eligible for the current season, to the 2017 roster:
The 2017 Wildcats had spring practice from February 2017 to March 2, 2017. The 2017 Arizona football spring game will take place in Tucson, AZ at a date and time to be determined.
Fall camp is scheduled for August.
Pac-12 media days are set for July 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Arizona returns 30 starters in 2017, including 14 on offense, 9 on defense, and 7 on special teams.
Projecting Returning Starters 2017
† Indicates player was a starter in 2016 but missed all of 2017 due to injury.
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
RS freshman
Defensive end
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
RS sophomore
Cornerbacks
Placekickers
Punters
Long snappers
, RS junior
Classes Key: Fr – Freshman; first year player. So – Sophomore; second year player. Jr – Junior; third year player. Sr – Senior; fourth year player. Bold – Team captain. Italics – Left team during the season. RS – Previously used a redshirt. – Redshirt during 2017 season. – Injured for entire or majority of season and is eligible for a medical redshirt.
Arizona Wildcats roster
Depth Chart Source: 2017 Arizona Wildcats Football Fact Book[23]
True Freshman Double Position : *
Arizona announced its 2017 football schedule on November 29, 2016. The 2017 Wildcats' schedule consisted of 7 home and 4 away games for the regular season. Arizona hosted nine Pac-12 conference opponents UCLA, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State and traveled to California, Colorado, Oregon, USC and traveled to arch rival Arizona State for the 91st annual Territorial Cup to close out the regular season. Arizona was not scheduled to play Pac-12 North opponents Stanford and Washington in the 2017 regular season.
Arizona's out of conference opponents represented the American, Big Sky, and C-USA. The Wildcats hosted three non–conference games which were against Northern Arizona from the Big Sky and Houston from the American and traveled to El Paso, TX against Texas–El Paso from the C-USA.
at Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ
at Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX
No scoring plays
at Folsom Field • Boulder, CO
at California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA
at Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR
at Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ
at Levi's Stadium • Santa Clara, CA
Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar was named Offensive MVP.
Purdue linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley was named Defensive MVP.
As of 11/25/2017.
Non-conference opponents
Pac-12 opponents
Score total by Quarters
5.0
Each year several publications release lists of their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News (SN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). If a player is selected to the first team of three publications he is considered a consensus All-American, if a player is selected to the first team of all five publications he is considered a unanimous All-American.
College Football News Pac-12 Top 30 (2017)
Key: First team Consensus All-American Unanimous All-American
Honors and Awards Source: 2017 Arizona Media Notes[27] (unless otherwise noted)