College Football Top 25 projections after 2018 spring practices
By Zach Bigalke
Kevin Sumlin took over as the head coach in Tucson, quickly landing a new gig after Texas A&M let him go. We could see Sumlin’s former squad land in the AP Top 25, but his current squad is set up for more immediate success in 2018. With the Pac-12 South in flux, Arizona could see some love from pollsters this preseason.
A big reason for Arizona’s rise up the polls this offseason is the return of dual-threat quarterback Khalil Tate. If not for injuries, Tate might never have reached the field last season. Now, Tate looks like he could break out as a Heisman contender in 2018. Though Sumlin’s last years in College Station faded off a bit, he is still the coach that helped develop players like Case Keenum at Houston and Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M.
What stood out in the spring game, though, was not the offense but the defense. The Wildcats D forced five turnovers in the spring game, highlighting a strong linebacking corps and a developing secondary. If Arizona can stymie Pac-12 offenses this year, they will vault up quickly from a low-20s position in the preseason Top 25.