New Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin worked with record-setting quarterback Case Keenum and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Noel Mazzone, whom Sumlin is expected to hire as offensive coordinator, has coached Philip Rivers, Jason Campbell, Brock Osweiler, Brett Hundley and Josh Rosen.
UA returning starter Khalil Tate should thrive under Sumlin and Mazzone. They will do all they can to maximize his potential.
But as two quarterback experts noted, it’s up to Tate to take advantage of the opportunity he’s about to have. Sumlin and Mazzone will coach him up; Tate has to put in the work.
“The opportunity for Khalil to develop and mature is right there in front of him,” Pac-12 Networks analyst Yogi Roth said. “And he’s going to choose whether to take it or not.”
Tate became an overnight phenomenon when he rushed for 327 yards against Colorado on Oct. 7, the highest single-game total by an FBS quarterback. He finished the season with 1,411 rushing yards and 14 passing touchdowns, including five in the year-ending Foster Farms Bowl.
Tate’s talent and upside were undoubtedly among the reasons Sumlin found the Arizona job attractive. He officially became the Wildcats’ coach Sunday, succeeding Rich Rodriguez, who was fired Jan. 2. Sumlin will be introduced to the media Tuesday morning.
With Tate entering his junior season — and the defense chock-full of promising young players who only should get better — there’s a real sense that Arizona can compete for the Pac-12 South title in 2018.
“There’s no doubt,” said Brady Quinn, who called the Foster Farms Bowl for Fox Sports. “I really like their chances.”
Whether the Wildcats will contend depends on numerous factors: how quickly the young players develop; how swiftly they adapt to new coaching schemes and styles; how healthy the roster remains with a late bye week; and how impactful the still-evolving ’18 freshman class will be.
But as UA fans saw during the magical month of October, nothing can change the fortunes of a program faster than a transcendent quarterback. Tate’s playmaking ability was the biggest factor in Arizona’s four-game winning streak, which began with that Colorado game.
Defenses adjusted to Tate a bit down the stretch. That, combined with other factors, led to a 1-4 finish and a 7-6 final record — a disappointing outcome after the win streak lifted the Wildcats to 6-2.
Enter Sumlin and Mazzone. Both have tutored quarterbacks featuring varied skill sets — from pocket passer Rivers to freelancer Manziel to rocket-armed Rosen.
“When you look at what he’s been able to do in his career, he’s had some prolific offenses,” Quinn said of Sumlin. “It’s a perfect fit for what they have now with Khalil Tate.
“You look at a guy like Johnny Manziel. I’m not going to try to compare the two quarterbacks; they’re two completely different people. But he (Sumlin) understands how to get production out of that position. The offense will be very conducive to what Khalil excels at.”
With Louisville’s Lamar Jackson entering the NFL draft, Tate might be the best runner among returning quarterbacks in college football. He is still developing as a passer.
“That’s the stride he has to take,” Quinn said.
Quinn studied Tate closely in his preparation for the Foster Farms Bowl, then watched him throw five TD passes to spark a comeback against Purdue that ultimately fell short. The Boilermakers clinched the game on a late Tate interception. He forced the ball downfield when underneath options were available.
“You can’t make that sort of mistake,” Quinn said. “You’ve gotta grow from that and take that as a learning experience. He has all the tools to be special.”
With more experience, more practice reps and more discipline, Tate might not make that same mistake again. But it’s up to him — not Sumlin or Mazzone — to understand the importance of what Roth described as “the lonely work of the offseason.” That means putting in extra time to learn a new playbook and decipher how defenses will try to defend him.
“You have to be able to throw and be competitive. You have to be able to win a room. That gets you the job at a good program,” Roth said.
“After that, are you truly seeking to become elite? That’s where Sam (Darnold) and Josh (Rosen) were in the offseason.”
USC’s Darnold and UCLA’s Rosen just completed their third seasons. Both have declared for the draft.
Roth said there are three stages to quarterback development in college. Stage 1 is about surviving the transition from high school. Stage 2 is about understanding progressions and where the ball is supposed to go. Stage 3 is about dissecting defenses and getting a half-step ahead of the opposition.
Tate’s transition from Stage 2 to 3 will be a little tougher because he has to learn a new system — all the more reason this offseason will be critical to his growth. Mazzone has a reputation as a good communicator who’s able to make complicated concepts seem simple, so that should help.
Although Tate will enter spring practice as the returning starter and only sure thing at quarterback, the new coaching staff likely will make him earn the job.
“I know that sounds ridiculous,” Roth said, “but the No. 1 thing championship teams do is develop competitive depth. When the quarterback has to compete for his job, it makes for a better environment. That’s how you have to do it, as opposed to anointing someone. It’s important to set the culture.”
Sumlin undoubtedly will pass that message along to his new team — and his new quarterback — sooner than later. Then the real work begins, if it hasn’t already.
“From everything I’ve read about him,” Roth said of Tate, “he’s a really intelligent young man. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s already studying UCLA and Texas A&M film.”
Tate is spending less time tweeting after a surge of activity when Arizona’s coaching search seemed to be headed in a different direction. As of Monday night, he had only one post up on his now-private Twitter account since Friday — a photoshopped picture of Sumlin patting him on the helmet.
