There was a lot of optimism surrounding the Arizona Wildcats coming into the 2024 season.

They were coming off a very productive 2023 campaign in which they won 10 games. Quarterback Noah Fifita and star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan were back for another year and expected to buoy an explosive offense.

Those positives existed despite head coach Jedd Fisch departing for the Washington Huskies job. He was replaced by Brent Brennan who was coming off back-to-back seven-win seasons with the San Jose State Spartans and was 7-1 during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 campaign, reaching as high as No. 18 in the rankings.

Unfortunately, he is learning the hard way that life in a power conference is much different than in the Mountain West.

This year of transition has been a tough one for Brennan and his team, as the results have been underwhelming.

The Wildcats are 3-6 and they will be lucky to even become bowl-eligible at this point. That is a steep fall from last season, as the positive momentum that was built is now gone.

As a result of their struggles, there are some concerns about where the program is headed. College football insider Heather Dinich of ESPN has listed Brennan as one of the most concerning first-year head coaching jobs in the country in 2024.

“It’s also fair to raise questions about the direction of Arizona under Brent Brennan, who has lost six of his past seven games. This is a program that won 10 games in 2023 under Jedd Fisch, and to add to the pain, rival Arizona State is 7-2. You know it’s a problem when a fan of the rival school sends a letter to Arizona’s athletic director writing a letter of support for the head school. Brennan, a former San Jose State coach, signed a five-year deal with the Wildcats.”

Struggling in the first season under a new head coach is hard enough for a school and fan base to stomach. Watching this squad struggle while their biggest rival, who won three games in back-to-back seasons, rise from the ashes makes it hurt that much more.

The feeling between the Wildcats and Sun Devils has flipped, as Tempe is filled with excitement and Tucson has turned all of its attention to basketball season.

It will be interesting to see how Brennan and his staff handle the transfer portal to help plug some of the holes on the roster.

Key contributors could be moving on, as McMillan, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and cornerback Tacario Davis could all depart for the NFL.

Answers will have to be found quickly, as players are decommitting from the program.

Despite signing a five-year deal, this level of disappointment will have his seat heating up quickly in the desert.