Khalil Tate looking to prove himself as NFL-caliber QB at College Gridiron Showcase
Khalil Tate views himself as a quarterback at the next level.
The Arizona quarterback is taking his first steps to prove he has the necessary accuracy to succeed at the NFL level during this week’s College Gridiron Showcase at McNair Stadium in Fort Worth.
Asked what he wanted to show scouts, Tate said: “Just that I can throw. The stigma behind me is that I’m just a runner. But when I get out here and spin the ball in front of them, it opens their eyes. That’s something that they didn’t know I could do.”
Tate felt he had a solid showing on Monday, and will look to do the same during practices on Tuesday and Wednesday with the ‘Wranglers’ squad.
Tate made it clear that he’s pursuing a pro career as a quarterback and has no interest in doing wide receiver drills. At least not yet.
“Nah, that’s not my plan [to play wide receiver],” Tate said. “Not at all.”
Instead, Tate is focused on proving himself as a QB and has embraced meeting with professional teams this week. He wants to show them that he is “a very passionate player who doesn’t like losing.
“I’m going to do anything that I can on the field to win,” Tate continued. “I feel the best asset of a player is being reliable and I think I bring that to the table for sure.”
Tate is arguably the biggest headliner in the all-star event. He had Heisman Trophy buzz going into the 2018 season following a breakout sophomore season in 2017. As a sophomore, Tate threw for 1,591 yards with 14 TDs and nine interceptions, as well as rushing for 1,411 yards and 12 TDs.
But he didn’t live up to the hype, struggling to an extent when Arizona went from Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense to Kevin Sumlin’s pro-style offense in 2018.
Tate had more passing yards and TDs in 2018, throwing for 2,530 yards with 26 TDs and eight interceptions, but saw his completion percentage drop from 62% to 56.3%. His rushing numbers also dipped to 224 yards with his average per carry going from 9.2 yards in 2017 to 3.0 yards in 2018.
Tate closed his college career this season with 1,954 yards passing with 14 TDs and 11 interceptions, and 413 yards rushing and three TDs. He split QB snaps as the season went on with freshman Grant Gunnell.
Tate acknowledged going from Rodriguez to Sumlin was an adjustment.
“Going from an offense that was real run heavy to one that had a lot of passes was different,” Tate said. “But it’s something you have to do as a quarterback. You’ve got to be able to adjust and perform to the best of your abilities.”
And Tate holds no ill will toward Sumlin, saying: “He’s doing what he can. He’s bringing in his players, which will be helpful for him and the program. I think they’re going in the right direction.”
Tate, meanwhile, is focused on a professional career. He sees the success Lamar Jackson is having with the Baltimore Ravens and believes he may fit that mold.
Tate is 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, similar to Jackson, who is 6-foot-2, 212 pounds. Both are considered big-time athletes as well.
“I feel like it’s perfect timing,” Tate said. “He’s doing really well. It’s something that you can’t be blinded to. You’ve got to accept it and you’ve got to look for that in the future for your organizaition if you want to elevate to the next level.”
Tate believes he’ll be able to post a 40-yard dash time in the low-4.4s, and settle any QB doubts throughout the pre-draft process. As stated, he liked how he threw the ball on Monday.
Dane Brugler, NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic, said accuracy is among the many questions scouts have regarding Tate early on in the draft process.
“As a quarterback, Tate plays with equal parts panic and athleticism,” Brugler said. “He is dangerous with his legs and has a strong arm, but the concerns out-weigh the positives at this point in his development. His accuracy is erratic, he shows marginal pocket presence, escaping good pockets. And he doesn’t consistently trust what he sees.
“Tate will get his chance in an NFL camp, but faces an uphill climb to see playing time as a pro quarterback.”
This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
