Three pressing questions for Kevin Sumlin, Arizona Wildcats on eve of Pac-12 Media Day

Cats facing questions

One day you’re the new, big-name coach with a reputation for turning talented quarterbacks into Heisman Trophy contenders, or even winners.

The next thing you know, your team is blowing a fourth-quarter lead – and a bowl berth – in excruciating fashion to its chief rival, and the honeymoon phase is over.

So it went for Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin, whose first season ended in disappointment with a crushing loss to Arizona State – and whose second season is right around the bend.

Arizona opens the 2019 campaign at Hawaii on Aug. 24 — exactly one month from Wednesday’s Pac-12 Media Day in Los Angeles. As one of four FBS teams playing in “Week Zero,” everything is pushed up for the Wildcats. Players report for training camp Thursday. Practice begins Friday.

Sumlin’s tenure is still in its infancy, but it isn’t a stretch to say he’s lost the benefit of the doubt among UA fans. That makes 2019 a prove-it season for Sumlin and his squad.

As he heads to Hollywood for his second Pac-12 Media Day, here are three burning questions Sumlin might face:

1. What does 2019 have in store for quarterback Khalil Tate?

Sumlin still believes in Tate, despite a 2018 season that didn’t go quite as planned. The signs are clear: Tate got the veteran-QB treatment in the spring game, starting and playing only a handful of snaps; and he’s one of two players representing Arizona at Pac-12 Media Day. Tailback J.J. Taylor is the other.

Tate entered last season with Heisman hype and massive expectations that probably were unrealistic. Adapting to a new system and new coaches proved difficult. An early-season ankle injury had Tate limping and struggling to recapture his 2017 form.

Tate never regained his mojo as a runner, but he improved in some respects as a passer. He set career highs with 2,530 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, improving his TD-to-interception ratio from 14-9 to 26-8. Those 26 TD passes ranked fourth in the Pac-12 and were just three fewer than the total posted by the only other two quarterbacks scheduled to attend Media Day: Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Stanford’s K.J. Costello.

Tate appeared to be healthy during spring practice, and he seemed to be in a positive frame of mind when interacting with the media. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Noel Mazzone suggested their “growing pains” as teacher and pupil were behind them, or at least trending in that direction.

“I kind of understand him a little bit more,” Mazzone said in spring, “and he understands me a little bit more.”

Tate looked into declaring for the 2019 NFL draft before wisely deciding to return to Arizona for his senior season. He acknowledged in spring that he “had a lot more to prove.”

“I knew I left a lot on the table,” Tate said. “I know what my ceiling is. I know what I can do.

“With the circumstances I was dealing with last year, I couldn’t really perform to the best of my ability. … Thankfully, I had another year to learn and refine myself in this offense.”

Tate now enters a legacy-defining season.

Arizona hasn’t defeated Arizona State or won a bowl game with Tate as its starting quarterback. He has one more year to cement his status as an enduring UA great.

2. What’s the latest on Arizona’s late-arriving defensive tackles?

Entering this week, all of Arizona’s 2019 freshmen had enrolled – with two sizable exceptions.

Defensive tackles Trevon Mason and Kane Bradford were the lone holdouts. Both encountered more NCAA red tape with transcripts and paperwork than expected. It was particularly surprising in the case of Mason, a junior-college transfer who initially was supposed to enroll in January.

Mason and Bradford happen to play the position where Arizona needs the most help.

The Wildcats lost starting defensive tackles Dereck Boles and PJ Johnson, who combined for 66 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season. Even with them, Arizona’s inability to stop the run when it needed to most proved costly.

There appears to be tangible progress with at least one of the new defensive tackles. Mason popped up in the online UA phone directory Monday, and the anticipation is that he’ll be good to go for the start of camp.

How quickly Mason is able to contribute remains to be seen. He not only missed spring practice but couldn’t work out with the team and strength staff in summer. The coaches might have to ease him into the lineup. Having played two seasons of JC ball should help.

Bradford, an incoming freshman, is expected to arrive at some point, although the exact date is unclear. It isn’t uncommon for signees to encounter obstacles in the enrollment process. But the longer the delay lasts, the harder it will be for Bradford to play as a freshman.

Sorting out the rotation at defensive tackle is one of the biggest challenges Sumlin and his staff will face in camp.

3. How is Arizona faring in recruiting, which is supposed to be one of Sumlin’s strengths?

Sumlin coached at Texas A&M from 2012-17. During that time, none of his recruiting classes ranked lower than 18th nationally, according to 247Sports.com and Rivals.com.

This year’s class, Sumlin’s first full one at Arizona, ranked in the mid-50s. Both 247Sports and Rivals placed it 10th in the Pac-12.

The Wildcats’ 2020 class ranks 75th (247Sports) and 67th (Rivals) nationally, ninth and eighth in the conference.

On the surface, Sumlin hasn’t provided the bump most were expecting after he succeeded Rich Rodriguez. But it’s important to consider context before drawing any conclusions about Sumlin’s recruiting record at the UA.

Regardless of star rankings, Sumlin and his staff have addressed team needs. The 2019 class features four offensive linemen and four interior defensive linemen, including late addition Kyon Barrs. Half of them are junior-college transfers, an acknowledgment of Arizona’s need for immediate reinforcements.

The 2020 class has nine commitments, and nearly half are linemen – three offensive and one defensive. All are listed at 6-foot-3 or taller, as Sumlin and his staff continue to pursue players whose frames have growth potential.

Every commit for ’20 currently has a three-star rating. Only two players in the ’19 class, receiver Boobie Curry and cornerback Bobby Wolfe, received four-star ratings from 247Sports or Rivals.

However, most of Arizona’s best players came to Tucson with three-star ratings. They include Taylor, a third-team All-American last season; linebacker Colin Schooler, who has made multiple preseason watch lists for national awards; and offensive tackle Donovan Laie, who started all 12 games as a true freshman last year and looks like a future pro.

The story of Arizona’s 2020 class is still being written. The Wildcats made the final six for four-star defensive end Jason Harris, the younger brother of current UA edge rusher Jalen Harris. A lot can happen over the next several months.

Nothing matters more than how Arizona fares on the field. A winning season – with Tate zipping through opposing defenses – would go a long way toward getting the buzz back.