Resuming our countdown of the 17 most valuable Arizona Wildcats of 2017.
First, some quick reminders:
βMost valuableβ does not necessarily mean βbest.β Rather, weβre defining it as the contributions and traits that most influence winning football. They include talent, leadership and projected role and production.
Newcomers were not eligible for the list. Although many might become major contributors this year, especially on defense, their roles are just too difficult to predict in June.
NO. 7: QB KHALIL TATE
Ht/Wt/Yr: 6-2, 212, sophomore
Comment: It wasnβt easy figuring out where to place Tate on this list.
Heβll enter training camp in a battle for the starting quarterback job with incumbent Brandon Dawkins and newcomer Donavan Tate (no relation). Itβs entirely possible Khalil Tate will win the job, in which case heβd be a candidate for team MVP. Itβs also possible heβll be relegated to backup duty β which wouldnβt preclude him from playing a meaningful role at some point.
Letβs assume for the moment that Rich Rodriguez picks Dawkins or Donavan Tate as the starter. Given Dawkinsβ aggressive style and Tateβs injury history as a baseball player, itβs reasonable to assume neither would last the entire season. So even if Khalil Tate is the No. 2 quarterback β or even if heβs No. 3 β he probably will play.
The likelihood that more than one quarterback will see action β combined with the general uncertainty surrounding the position β leads us to a strange place: having more than one QB in the top seven. (Spoiler alert: Dawkins will be among the top six.) Tateβs talent and upside make him an enticing candidate.
Both were on full display in Arizonaβs final spring scrimmage, when Tate stole the show. According to my unofficial accounting, he completed 16 of 19 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. It was a significant step forward β and somewhat easy to forget amid Dawkinsβ preseason magazine covers and Donavan Tateβs fascinating past.
Obviously, thereβs a huge difference between a scrimmage and a real game. Just because Khalil Tate displayed poise and accuracy in front of a smattering of fans on a Friday night in late March against the UA defense doesnβt mean heβs ready to do the same in front of 50,000 on a September Saturday against someone else.
But we have every reason to believe Tate will make major progress this year. He wasnβt remotely ready to play last season, when he didnβt turn 18 until October. Although he struggled when forced to start, Tate gained plenty from the experience. Heβll have a much better idea what to expect the second time around. Heβll also have a superior grasp of the playbook.
Physically, Tate has the ideal skills and measurables to run Rodriguezβs offense. Tate possesses a powerful arm, excellent speed and innate elusiveness. He also has a naturally thick frame, which should enable him to withstand punishment.
Whereas we mightΒ have seen Dawkinsβ ceiling as a passer, we have no idea how good Tate can be. Will we get to find out this season? Thatβs a question no one, including Rodriguez, is capable of answering in mid-July. And thatβs what makes determining Tateβs value for 2017 an educated guess at best.
THE 17 MOST VALUABLE WILDCATS OF 2017
- No. 17:Β TE Trevor Wood
- No. 16:Β CB Dane Cruikshank
- No. 15:Β RB Nick Wilson
- No. 14:Β DL Parker Zellers
- No. 13:Β S Tristan Cooper
- No. 12:Β WR Cam Denson
- No. 11:Β DL Larry Tharpe Jr.
- No. 10:Β S Isaiah Hayes
- No. 9:Β CB Jace Whittaker
- No. 8: DE-LB DeAndre' Miller