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We’re crafting teams comprised of the best of the best over the last 25 years.

Up first: the Arizona Wildcats’ All-Quarter Century Football Team, which blends multiple generations of players from the John Mackovic, Mike Stoops, Rich Rodriguez, Kevin Sumlin, Jedd Fisch and Brent Brennan eras.

Without further ado, here’s Arizona’s top Cats over the last 25 years:

OFFENSE Quarterback: Nick Foles

What Foles did after his time at Arizona contributed to his popularity in Arizona football lore. Before he became the first-ever UA player to win Super Bowl MVP, after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a championship in a duel with the Tom Brady-led Patriots, Foles finished his Arizona career as the school’s career passing yards leader (10,011) and single-season passing yards leader (4,334). Foles is tied with his predecessor, Willie Tuitama, for most career passing touchdowns (67). Foles led Arizona to appearances in the Holiday Bowl and Alamo Bowl, but the Wildcats were blasted by Nebraska and Oklahoma State.

Running back: Ka’Deem Carey

The Tucson native and Canyon del Oro graduate signed to play under Stoops, but he blossomed as Arizona’s bell-cow running back under Rodriguez. Carey owns Arizona records for career rushing yards (4,239), single-season rushing yards (1,929) and single-game rushing yards (366). The two-time All-American and Doak Walker Award finalist also owns records for career rushing touchdowns (48), single-season rushing touchdowns (23) and single-game rushing touchdowns (5). In 2013, he eclipsed 40 career rushing touchdowns, which hadn’t been done since Art Luppino in 1956.

Wide receiver: Tetairoa McMillan

Perhaps the greatest receiver in Arizona history. T-Mac’s statistics back it up. The highly-touted recruit signed with Arizona the season after the Wildcats went 1-11. In three years at Arizona, McMillan recorded a school-record 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns, which is the third-most in program history. McMillan’s 213 career receptions rank fourth in UA history behind Mike Thomas, Bobby Wade and Dennis Northcutt. McMillan owns the single-game receiving record with 304 yards and four touchdowns. The 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year became the highest-selected offensive Wildcat in NFL Draft history.

Wide receiver: Mike Thomas

“Money Mike� set the Pac-10 record for career receptions (259), which he set in Arizona’s win over BYU in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, a game that ended the Wildcats’ postseason drought. Thomas was a staple in the Sonny Dykes-coached offense at Arizona. Thomas’ two 12-reception games in 2007 are tied for the third-most in a game by a Wildcat.

Wide receiver: Bobby Wade

In Wade’s four-year career with the Wildcats, the Phoenix native and current UA receivers coach recorded 230 catches for 3,351 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was Arizona’s record-holder for career receiving yards until his star pupil, McMillan, broke his record in a road loss at TCU. Wade also owns the single-season receptions record (93).

Tight end: Rob Gronkowski

The Buffalo-area native was a highly-touted recruit in 2007 and chose ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV over programs like Ohio State and Clemson because of the year-round pool parties at the UA. Seriously. The four-time Super Bowl champion and Patriots legend started as a true freshman, before evolving into a first-team All-Pac-10 choice in 2008 after recording 47 catches for 462 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Offensive line: Eben Britton

At left tackle, Britton was a Freshman All-American in 2006, then became a second-team All-Pac-10 selection as a sophomore in ‘07. Britton ended his UA career as a first-team All-Pac-10 choice in 2008 and helped Arizona reach the Las Vegas Bowl.

Offensive line: Jacob Alsadek

Alsadek started 46 games during his career at Arizona and only missed four games. At right guard, Alsadek was named a Freshman All-American by USA Today and became the leader of an offensive line that helped the Wildcats have one of the top rushing units in the Pac-12.

Offensive line: Colin Baxter

Baxter was the center counterpart to Foles and had 49 consecutive starts at left guard and center. Baxter was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2009 and ’10. He was also a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and Outland Trophy in 2010.

Offensive line: Jonah Savaiinaea

Savaiinaea played three positions on Arizona’s offensive line between 2022 and ‘24. In 36 games over three seasons at Arizona, Savaiinaea played 2,418 snaps — including 1,057 at right tackle, 985 at right guard and 345 at left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. The Tafuna, American Samoa, native allowed eight sacks and five quarterback hits in three seasons, per PFF.

Offensive line: Jordan Morgan

The Marana native started his Arizona career in 2019, but evolved into an NFL-caliber offensive lineman in 2022. A season-ending knee injury brought Morgan back to Arizona in ‘23. In Arizona’s 10-win season, Morgan started all 12 games at left tackle and only allowed two sacks in 787 snaps and was named a first-team All-Pac-12 selection. Last year, Morgan became the first UA offensive lineman drafted in the first round since John Fina in 1992.

DEFENSE Defensive line: Brooks Reed

The Tucson native and Sabino product started his Arizona career as a fullback, but switched to defensive end and had a breakout season with eight sacks in 2008. Reed ended his UA career with 114 tackles and 17 sacks and was a first-team All-Pac-10 choice in 2010.

Defensive line: Earl Mitchell

Speaking of a fullback-converted-defensive lineman, Mitchell went from starting in Arizona’s backfield to leading the interior defensive line with 88 tackles, 19 stops for loss and eight sacks in two seasons. Mitchell was a second-team All-Pac-10 defensive tackle in 2009.

Defensive line: Lionel Dotson

Dotson was a second-team All-Pac-10 defensive tackle in 2007 and had 121 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and four pass deflections in his 32-game career.

Defensive line: Ricky Elmore

The All-Stoops defensive line this quarter century rounds out with one of the top edge rushers in school history. Elmore has the second-most career sacks (25.5) in Arizona history behind Tedy Bruschi. Elmore’s 11 sacks in 2010 is tied for the seventh-most at Arizona. Elmore was named a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2010. Elmore and Reed combined for 42.5 career sacks.

Linebacker: Scooby Wright

Wright had not just one of the best defensive seasons by a Wildcat in 2014, it was statistically one of the best defensive seasons in college football history. As a sophomore in 2014, the unanimous All-American registered 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. Wright was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and the Jack Lambert Trophy. Injuries kept Wright sidelined for most of the 2015 season, before he declared for the NFL Draft.

Linebacker: Lance Briggs

Briggs was a Dick Tomey-era recruit, but finished his career under Mackovic. Briggs was a force at linebacker, finishing his college career as a three-time All-Pac-10 linebacker with 308 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 36 tackles for losses, three interceptions, 10 pass deflections, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Linebacker: Spencer Larsen

The Gilbert native received a first-team All-Pac-10 nod in 2007 after he led the conference in tackles (131). Larsen also had four sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles in ‘07. Larsen was the Defensive MVP of the East-West Shrine Bowl leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft.

Cornerback: Antoine Cason

One of the top ballhawks in Arizona history, Cason has the fourth-most career interceptions (15) by a Wildcat. The unanimous All-American and two-time All-Pac-10 cornerback won the Jim Thorpe Award for college football’s top defensive back in 2007. Cason was also a punt returner for the Wildcats.

Safety: Tra’Mayne Bondurant

Bondurant had 271 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, nine interceptions, 14 pass deflections, nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries from 2011-14. Bondurant, alongside Jared Tevis, was a veteran leader in Arizona’s defensive secondary that competed for a Pac-12 championship.

Safety: Darrell Brooks

Brooks led the Wildcats in tackles (93) and had two interceptions in 2005 following a 2004 campaign that had 73 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and a sack.

Cornerback: Trevin Wade

The Texas native played at Arizona from 2007-11 and had 182 tackles, 12 interceptions and two touchdowns. Wade had an 85-yard pick-six in Arizona’s upset win over No. 9 Iowa in 2010. He played in 38 games at Arizona.

Specialists/coach Kicker: Tyler Loop

In five years at Arizona, Loop recorded an 83.8% field-goal rate, which currently ranks 39th in college football history; it’s also the best mark in Arizona history. Loop’s 327 points are third in school history behind Max Zendejas (360) and Luppino (337).

In 2024, Loop was 6 for 9 in field goals of at least 50 yards, which included a program-record 62-yard field goal. Loop owns the UA single-game school record with five field goals against Texas Tech.

Punter: Kyle Ostendorp

In 2021, the season Arizona went 1-11, Ostendorp set an Arizona record with a 49.2-yard punt average, which also led the Pac-12, earning him All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Ostendorp was the only Wildcat to earn all-conference honors in ‘21.

Returner: Travis Cobb

Cobb was a wide receiver at Arizona, but he was mostly known for returning. Cobb had 64 kick returns for 1,649 yards and two touchdowns in 2009 and ’10. One of those touchdowns was a 95-yard return to open Arizona’s 48-7 win over Washington State in 2009. Cobb also had a 100-yard return for a touchdown against Iowa the following season.

Long snapper: Seth MacKellar

MacKellar snapped in 53 games over five seasons at Arizona between 2019-23. MacKellar, Ostendorp (holder) and Loop were Arizona’s field-goal operation in ‘22 and ‘23.

Utility: Khalil Tate

Tate emerged as Arizona’s starting quarterback in 2017, when he subbed in for the injured Brandon Dawkins and rushed for 327 yards, a single-game FBS QB record, against Colorado in Boulder. Tate earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors four straight weeks in October 2017, becoming the first player in conference history to accomplish that feat.

Tate is the only player in UA history to be in the Top 10 for both single-season passing touchdowns (26) and rushing touchdowns (12). Tate has the third-most career passing touchdowns (57) by a Wildcat.

Coach: Rich Rodriguez

In this category, it depends on what you value. Do you value NFL Draft picks? The best coach is Stoops. Do you value turning around the program in a quick manner? It’s Fisch, who had a nine-win improvement in two seasons after inheriting a downtrodden program.

Rodriguez was steady during his tenure at Arizona. Rodriguez went 43-35 in six seasons — the most wins by a UA head coach since Tomey. In addition to leading Arizona to the Pac-12 South title, Rodriguez had five bowl appearances — winning three of them. Even in Arizona’s forgetful 3-9 season in 2016, the Wildcats ended the season with a 56-35 win over rival Arizona State, a memorable triumph because the Wildcats didn’t attempt a pass in the second half.