ARIZONA FOOTBALL

Khalil Tate makes Sports Illustrated cover, Arizona makes mag’s top-20

Aug 7, 2018, 9:19 AM

The hype is officially real for Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate.

Sports Illustrated revealed four preseason covers for its college football preview edition on Tuesday, and Tate made the cut not only because of lofty expectations put on himself but those placed on his team.

Tate ranked fourth in Sports Illustrated’s list of the 100 best players in college football after his breakout sophomore campaign. The magazine also ranked Arizona No. 19 in its preseason 2018 top-25 list.

Sports Illustrated holds the Wildcats in higher regard compared to the USC Trojans and Utah Utes, who Pac-12 media picked to finish ahead of them in the conference’s preseason poll. SI’s Ross Dellenger writes that Arizona’s X-factor is its first-year head coach, Kevin Sumlin.

In 2012 and ’13, Kevin Sumlin revitalized Texas A&M with Johnny Manziel running the offense, but without Manziel the Aggies floundered, and Sumlin was fired last fall. Now, with junior Khalil Tate at QB, Sumlin has one of the nation’s most electric offenses, but he’ll need a lot more than highlight-reel moments to succeed. In the SEC, Sumlin struggled partly because A&M couldn’t stop the run; in Tucson he inherits a young D that finished 10th in the Pac-12 and ninth in rushing yardage. Most important, the 54-year-old will have to revitalize the Wildcats’ recruiting—his predecessor of six seasons, Rich Rodriguez, failed to bring in elite talent outside of Tate.

A lot of those expectations rest upon on Tate’s arm and legs.

Taking over for former starter Brandon Dawkins five games into the 2017 season, Tate finished with 1,591 yards and 14 touchdowns through the air and rushed for another 1,411 yards and 12 scores.

Sports Illustrated’s other picks for its 2018 preseason preview covers feature four Clemson defensive linemen — the Tigers are atop the magazine’s preseason rankings — the Wisconsin offensive line and Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver.

Oliver, by the way, will go head-to-head against Tate in Arizona’s second game of the year. Ranked as the top player in the country by Sports Illustrated and considered a candidate to go No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Oliver might even see time on the offensive side of the ball, Houston offensive coordinator Kendal Briles mentioned this past week.

The Sports Illustrated covers only build the buzz heading into that matchup.

Arizona Football

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan #4 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates with Noah Fifita #11 after ca...

Arizona Sports

ESPN’s Rittenberg: Arizona Wildcats’ QB room ranks 10th in nation

Led by the final Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Noah Fifita, the Arizona Wildcats' quarterback room was ranked 10th in the nation.

11 days ago

Grand Canyon forward Duke Brennan...

Vincent DeAngelis

Duke Brennan uses inspiration from family and high motor to propel GCU basketball

Grand Canyon's Duke Brennan has strong Arizona connections and comes from a family of athletes in Colt and Brent Brennan.

19 days ago

Jordan Morgan...

Arizona Sports

Arizona OL, potential 1st-round pick Jordan Morgan shows off speed at NFL Draft Combine

Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan had the opportunity to show off his speed and athleticism at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

25 days ago

Jacob Cowing...

Arizona Sports

Arizona’s Jacob Cowing shows off elite speed at NFL Scouting Combine

NFL Draft prospect Jacob Cowing from Arizona put up one of the fastest 40-yard dash times among wide receivers at the combine.

26 days ago

An empty podium is seen at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by...

David Veenstra

What to watch for: 2024 NFL Scouting Combine schedule, preview and more

The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week in Indianapolis. Here's a complete guide for college and professional fans across Arizona.

1 month ago

Quarterback Jayden de Laura #7 prepares for a game at Arizona Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Tucson...

Tom Kuebel

Former Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura declares for NFL Draft

Jayden de Laura declared for the NFL Draft and will forego his fifth season of college football eligibility.

1 month ago

Khalil Tate makes Sports Illustrated cover, Arizona makes mag’s top-20