Arizona Football Depth Chart Analysis: Quarterbacks

Arizona Football has it’s signal-caller for 2018, but what will the Wildcats look like at quarterback beyond that? Well, we break the QB position down!

It’s a new era of football in Tucson, as newly hired head coach Kevin Sumlin will guide the Arizona Football team in 2018. A known, offensive savant, Sumlin enters a rather optimal situation.

Khalil Tate is his signal caller heading into the 2018 season, and early on, he is drawing comparisons to perhaps being his next ‘Johnny Manziel’. Now that’s quite the praise!

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If you may recall, in Sumlin’s first season in College Station, he helped guide the Aggies to an 11-2 season and Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma. Under center, was Manziel, the bold, but talented freshman who took college football by storm, winning the Heisman Trophy.

For Tate, the talent is there, but there is still a bit to be proven. He has yet to play a full season in Tucson, and just as he began to thrive in Rich Rodriguez’s system, Tate will now have to take on an entirely new scheme and playbook for 2018.

He has the chops to do it, and will undoubtedly have a good cast of coaches to help him along the way!

Now while Tate is the starter heading into the season, we need to at least have a good understanding of where the rest of the Wildcat quarterbacks fall in place. That’s where we breakdown the position, and evaluate the talent on roster.

*Please note, this is our evaluation, and does not actually reflect the coaches presumed depth chart.

EUGENE, OR – NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Khalil Tate #14 of the Arizona Wildcats runs with the ball during the second half of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks won the game 48-28. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Starter: Junior QB- Khalil Tate

2018 is the year of Tate! He is and will be the day one starter barring anything drastic, and he enters this season with plenty of hype!

When looking at Tate’s numbers from the 2017 season, they speak for themselves, and they are big reason why he is currently one of the top six favorites to win the Heisman. And at 14-to-1 odds according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, hey, anything is possible!

The four-game stretch that he had during the month of October last season was unprecedented. It lead to four wins, and four Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors for Tate, a conference record. Sumlin is well-equipped to take Tate’s potential to whole different level.

Sumlin has been known to have great success with quarterbacks, look no further than Johnny Manziel, among others. This is something that should scare every team in the conference because Tate can only get better, and that could lead to great things to come this year for fans of Arizona Football.

Back-up: Freshman QB- Kevin Doyle

A former Michigan commit and late surprise for the 2018 recruiting class, Kevin Doyle comes a long way to Tucson, with plenty of upside, and plenty to prove.

Doyle is a true, “pro-style” quarterback, so he is not quite as athletic compared to Tate. He isn’t a runner, and will certainly stand in the pocket to deliver a big throw. This just goes to show how versatile Sumlin’s offensive system can be.

While Doyle’s skill set is different from Tate’s, Sumlin has proven that the type of quarterback that plays for him does not matter, and that both dual-threat and pro-style quarterbacks can be successful.

He hails from the talented St. John’s College High School in Washington D.C., and put up absolutely monster numbers as a senior.

While there is a lot to learn and adjust to at the collegiate level, Doyle has the potential to come in and make an impact should Tate go down, or in back-up minutes. He has a big frame, big arm and big time confidence, all things needed in a college QB.

Potential Third String: Freshman QB- Jamarye Joiner:

Sumlin said that the first call he made in terms of recruiting, was to Jamarye Joiner. Joiner, a big-time recruit out of Cienega High School in Tucson, has always been on Arizona’s radar. Technically the first commit in the class of 2018, after the coaching change, there was a bit of uncertainty.

Luckily, Joiner solidified his commitment to Sumlin soon after he was hired, and he was the first big domino to fall for recruiting as a three-star recruit.

Joiner is a great athlete and dual-threat quarterback. Aside from tearing opposing defenses to shreds, Joiner was also running past the competition in Track & Field.

A bit similar to Tate, it will be interesting to see how Joiner is used moving forward. He undoubtedly has great athleticism and talent, and can definitely sling the ball around out there.

He’s versatile, coachable and hungry to make an impact. He has the talent to come in right away to surprise some people, and we are sure this coaching staff is loving to have the talent they have at quarterback.

Potential Fourth String: RS Freshman QB- K’hari Lane

Still a big mystery at quarterback is redshirt freshman, K’hari Lane. A standout QB in the ‘Peach State’, Lane was bright spot for Arizona in the annual spring game. He got the offense on the board for the first touchdown pass of the game, and after sitting out this past year, Lane is primed to potentially climb the depth chart, with the possibility of being the immediate back-up.

Lane’s skill set is his arm. He is a big time talent, and his record in high school prove it. As a senior Lane threw for 56 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also broke the state passing record.

The biggest question is still his size. Playing a bit bigger in high school, Lane definitely needed to improve some things there to ease concerns of coaches. A year into the system, Lane looks thinner, is playing faster, and appears more confident in his game.

It will be interesting to see how Lane continues to develop heading into 2018!

Potential Fifth String and Scout Team: Sophomore QB- Rhett Rodriguez

The son of former head coach Rich Rodriguez, Rhett Rodriguez enters a unique situation heading into his sophomore season. It was thought that maybe Rhett would transfer due to the controversy surrounding the departure of his dad as coach, but he’s staying on the roster for the foreseeable future at least.

In high school, the young Rodriguez starred at nearby Catalina Foothills before committing to Arizona. He is a gifted athlete, with an even greater talent for understanding the game of football at a high level, perhaps the benefit of being the son of a former college coach.

He can adapt well, remains patient and just seems to allow the game to come to him naturally. He was a successful quarterback in high school, and with the right coaching, and can certainly be more than serviceable at the collegiate level too! Rodriguez seems to take to coaching well, and could really help the Wildcats in a lot of ways this year!

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At Zona Zealots, we are excited about the upcoming season, and can’t wait to see how the quarterback position continues to unfold moving forward! Bear Down, Arizona!

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