The preseason accolades continue to attach themselves to Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate.
Athlon Sports has named Tate a preseason third-team All-American, only behind West Virginia quarterback Will Grier and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
Tate was one of 10 Pac-12 offensive players to be named to Athlon’s All-America teams. He was the lone Wildcat to make the list. Athlon named Tate the No. 1 QB in the Pac-12 back in April, too.
The honor only fuels the hype machine that has been churning since Tate made his fabled debut last October on the road against Colorado. Tate rushed for an FBS QB record of 327 yards against the Buffaloes in a 45-42 victory. The win in Boulder served as the genesis of an undefeated October and the rejuvenation of hope from fans in the program.
As Tate heads into junior year with first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin at the helm, fans and pundits wait to see if the QB can build off his sophomore season success and lead the team to greater heights, like the Rose Bowl, and maybe become the first U of A player to win the Heisman Trophy. Tate was given 14/1 odds last month to win the award.
Tate ended last season with a 4-4 record and 1,411 rushing yards. His rushing total placed him fourth in Arizona football’s record book for single season rushing.
The 2018 wide receiver group is highlighted by Tony Ellison, Shawn Poindexter and Shun Brown. The offensive line will be the enigma this season as the team will have to replace two starters, Jacob Alsadek and Gerhard de Beer.
UA opens its season on Sept. 1 at home against BYU.