The holiday week won’t disrupt our countdown of the 10 most valuable Arizona Wildcats of 2018 not named Khalil Tate.
The junior quarterback is in a category of his own. This list breaks down the standouts in his supporting cast.
Before we go any further, two 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. Even though freshmen played a huge role on last year’s team, it’s just too hard to predict who will have an immediate impact before training camp gets underway.
NO. 3: RB J.J. TAYLOR
Ht/Wt/Yr: 5-6, 180, redshirt sophomore
Comment: A year ago, we ranked Taylor No. 1 in our projection of the most valuable Wildcats of 2017. He had flashed tantalizing potential the previous year before an injury cut his season short. With the Cats’ QB situation uncertain, Taylor jumped to the front of the pack.
That obviously did not turn out to be the case. Tate emerged as a transcendent talent in October and lapped the field.
Which isn’t to say Taylor failed to do his part. He rushed for 847 yards, second on the team to Tate’s 1,411, and scored seven touchdowns. It was enough to earn Taylor co-Offensive Freshman of the Year recognition from the Pac-12.
(Taylor likely would have topped 900 yards if not for his ejection for “targeting” in the first quarter at Cal.)
Although Arizona has the makings of a deep backfield, including rising sophomores Gary Brightwell and Nathan Tilford, there’s reason to believe Taylor could surpass last year’s production.
Based on what we saw from Noel Mazzone’s offense in the spring, and what we know about his history, Taylor will be utilized in a different way this season – a way that suits his skill set.
Tate and the other UA quarterbacks threw to the running backs frequently during open spring scrimmages – something that happened infrequently in Rich Rodriguez’s offense. Even when Taylor was involved in the passing game last year, he seldom had room to catch-and-run. He averaged just 4.1 yards on 12 receptions – 1.7 fewer yards than his per-carry mark – with a long of 16.
Mazzone’s pliable scheme aims to take advantage of what its personnel does best. The diminutive but elusive Taylor is a “space” player. Mazzone will find ways to get him the ball in said space. That should lead to a significant spike in Taylor’s receiving totals, which will make him a more effective overall player.
If Taylor again rushes for 800-plus yards (a reasonable projection despite Tate’s presence and a changing backfield dynamic) and adds 400 receiving yards (maybe a reach, but not implausible), that likely would place him second behind Tate in total yards from scrimmage. Hence Taylor’s spot in our top three.
But wait, there’s more: The new coaching staff’s desire to make Tate more of a distributor – something he ought to be working toward anyway if he wants to play quarterback in the NFL someday – will lead to more touches for everyone. No one in the skill-position group is more dependable – yet dangerous at the same time – than the studious, slippery Taylor.
How the carries will be divided among the tailbacks remains to be seen. But Taylor enters training camp with a sizable edge in experience and the type of well-rounded game position coach Clarence McKinney is seeking in his charges.
“We like for them to be a triple threat,” McKinney said in spring. “You’ve gotta be able to run the ball, of course. You’ve gotta be able to protect for the quarterback. And you’ve gotta be able to catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Brightwell and Tilford are capable of doing all those things as well. But if they’re on equal footing, a notch below Taylor, they might cancel each other out in a sense. A 50/25/25 carry distribution is a logical forecast based on what we know now.
Taylor feels like a safe bet to retain his role as Tate’s No. 2 even as Arizona transitions to a new offense. Expect Taylor to hold his value as well.
10 MOST VALUABLE CATS (BESIDES KHALIL TATE)
