Arizona Wildcats linebackers Tony Fields II and Colin Schooler have been named to ESPN.com’s Freshman All-America Team.
Fields has started every game for the Foster Farms Bowl-bound Wildcats and leads the team in tackles. Schooler started the last eight games and won the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year award.
ESPN.com limited its selections to true freshmen. Here’s what author David M. Hale wrote about Schooler:
No freshman finished with more TFL than Schooler (13.5), who also finished 13th in the Pac-12 in tackles (88), picked off two passes, racked up four sacks and forced a fumble, emerging as one of the league's top all-around linebackers.
And here’s what Hale said about Fields:
If Schooler was the rising star on Arizona's defense, Fields wasn't far behind. He led the team with 91 tackles, had four sacks and an interception. Fields and Schooler's 179 tackles were tops among freshman teammates in the nation.
Expect more accolades to come Fields and Schooler’s way. DE-LB Kylan Wilborn also should pop up on various all-freshman teams.
Now that the 2017 Heisman Trophy has been decided – Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield won it in a runaway – several outlets have published their lists of top candidates for 2018.
Arizona QB Khalil Tate is a staple on those lists.
Bleacher Report ranks its candidates and placed Tate at No. 5 behind Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham, Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor and USC QB Sam Darnold (if he comes back).
USA Today also ranks its top 10 and puts Tate eighth. Its No. 1 candidate, Stanford junior RB Bryce Love, is eligible to enter the 2018 NFL draft.
NFL.com also placed Tate eighth on its list. Interestingly, NFL.com’s No. 3 choice is Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
No one is more bullish on Tate’s chances than CollegeFootballNews.com, which ranks him second behind only Hurts.
SI.com broke up its list into categories based on the likelihood of players returning to school. Tate is among five in the “No choice but to come back” group, which also features Herbert, Taylor, UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton and Houston DT Ed Oliver. Tate's Wildcats visit Oliver's Cougars on Sept. 8.
