The 17 most valuable Arizona Wildcats football players of 2017: No. 7

Resuming our countdown of the 17 most valuable Arizona Wildcats of 2017.

First, some quick reminders:

“Most valuable” does not necessarily mean “best.” Rather, we’re 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 wasn’t easy figuring out where to place Tate on this list.

He’ll enter training camp in a battle for the starting quarterback job with incumbent Brandon Dawkins and newcomer Donavan Tate (no relation). It’s entirely possible Khalil Tate will win the job, in which case he’d be a candidate for team MVP. It’s also possible he’ll be relegated to backup duty – which wouldn’t preclude him from playing a meaningful role at some point.

Let’s assume for the moment that Rich Rodriguez picks Dawkins or Donavan Tate as the starter. Given Dawkins’ aggressive style and Tate’s injury history as a baseball player, it’s reasonable to assume neither would last the entire season. So even if Khalil Tate is the No. 2 quarterback – or even if he’s No. 3 – he probably will play.

The likelihood that more than one quarterback will see action – combined with the general uncertainty surrounding the position – leads us to a strange place: having more than one QB in the top seven. (Spoiler alert: Dawkins will be among the top six.) Tate’s talent and upside make him an enticing candidate.

Both were on full display in Arizona’s 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 – and somewhat easy to forget amid Dawkins’ preseason magazine covers and Donavan Tate’s fascinating past.

Obviously, there’s 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 doesn’t mean he’s 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 wasn’t remotely ready to play last season, when he didn’t turn 18 until October. Although he struggled when forced to start, Tate gained plenty from the experience. He’ll have a much better idea what to expect the second time around. He’ll also have a superior grasp of the playbook.

Physically, Tate has the ideal skills and measurables to run Rodriguez’s 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 might have seen Dawkins’ ceiling as a passer, we have no idea how good Tate can be. Will we get to find out this season? That’s a question no one, including Rodriguez, is capable of answering in mid-July. And that’s what makes determining Tate’s value for 2017 an educated guess at best.

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