Arizona Football: 5 reasons Khalil Tate will win 2018 Heisman Trophy
By Zach Bigalke
4. Coaching change offers new opportunities under Kevin Sumlin
Twice during Kevin Sumlin’s tenure at Houston, Case Keenum finished in the top 10 of the Heisman voting. Then, after moving to Texas A&M in 2012, Sumlin was faced with big questions after the graduation of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill right before his arrival. struck gold immediately when he named Johnny Manziel the Aggies starter at quarterback.
The redshirt freshman went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 as the Aggies went 11-2 in their first year as an SEC member. Manziel finished with 3700 passing yards, 1400 rushing yards, and 47 total touchdowns. By the end of the year, he finished over 300 points ahead of Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o in the voting.
Sumlin’s tenure in College Station proved tumultuous, and it makes sense that he was let go by Texas A&M. But Sumlin remains a good coach who has the new opportunity to work with a player whose production could potentially put Manziel’s Heisman campaign to shame. Tate will be working with a coach known for working with his offense to maximize quarterback productivity.
The Wildcats offense remained a work in progress throughout the spring. They began to show signs of clicking in the second half of the spring game in Tucson. We have seen Sumlin reclamation projects rise quickly off the ground before. Tate will be the catalyst for any growth potential in 2018.