Who is Arizona's starting QB today? Exploring Wildcats' QB depth chart ahead of Week 2 game vs. Mississippi St.

Jayden de Laura was Arizona's starting QB as the Wildcats started of the season with a routine 38-3 win against Northern Arizona University (NAU).

Mississippi State warmed up for the clash against Arizona with a 48-7 blowout win against Southeastern Louisiana.

Jayden de Laura is Arizona's starting QB in this clash and he completed 18 of his 24 passes for 285 yards resulting in three touchdowns and an interception against NAU. He also ran 53 yards for a spectacular touchdown.

In last year's clash against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Jayden de Laura had one of his worst games. He only completed 51% of his passes and threw three intercepts during the 39-17 loss.

The Bulldogs are heavy favorites for this clash. Not only have the Wildcats failed to beat an SEC team since 1976 (they beat Auburn) but they have also never won on the road against an SEC opponent.

De Laura was added to the 33-man Manning Award watchlist that is granted to the top quarterback in the country by the Manning family. It showcases his progress since that disastrous game against Mississippi State.

Brennan Carroll, the Wildcats offensive coordinator, described de Laura's growth since then.

"He's always learning, always growing," said Carroll. "I think he saw that and then a couple games following that he ran the ball a little bit more. It's an element to his game that he definitely has and we're excited about it."

Coach Jedd Fisch also commented on the improvements Jayden de Laura has made this year.

"I don't know if he was as fast as he is now," Fisch said. "I don't know if he had that same burst as he does now. We always talk about how good of a job our strength staff does, and I think that's another indication. Not only did Jayden get bigger, stronger, faster, he got all three."

Arizona's starting QB: Exploring the options between Jayden de Laura and Noah Fifita

The game that cemented Jayden de Laura as Arizona's starting QB was the clash against UCLA in the Rose Bowl when he threw for 315 yards resulting in two touchdowns.

The Arizona Wildcats QB depth chart includes freshmen Noah Fifita, Brayden Dorman and Cole Tannenbaum.

The praise for the QB has come from all quarters.

Wide receiver Jacob Cowing said:

"When he needs to scramble, he knows when to scramble. When he needs to stay in the pocket a tad bit longer, he can stay in the pocket and deliver a good pass and then just continue to move the ball."

The game between Arizona and Mississippi will be played at the Davis Wade Stadium, Scott Field on Saturday, September 9 with a scheduled kickoff of 7:30 P.M. ET.