Arizona Football: Kevin Sumlin enters do-or-die 2020 season

With Khalil Tate gone, Grant Gunnell will take the keys

The strength of Arizona’s 2019 team was its offensive attack. Despite finishing 4-8, the Wildcats finished 30th in the nation and second in the Pac-12 in total offense averaging 440.1 yards per game.

As well as the Wildcats offense performed in 2019, it will be hard to repeat that success with their two biggest playmakers from a year ago gone. Quarterback Khalil Tate who threw for 1,954 yards and 14 touchdowns while finishing second on the team with 564 rushing yards and three scores is now a Philadelphia Eagle.

Arizona’s leading rusher from a year ago in J.J. Taylor is also in the NFL with the New England Patriots.

With Tate and Taylor gone, the keys to the Wildcats offense will go to sophomore quarterback Grant Gunnell. He played in eight games while making three starts as a true freshman last season in which he completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception.

Gunnell will have plenty of reliable options to throw to including Jamarye Joiner who led the Wildcats with 552 receiving yards and five touchdown grabs on 34 catches a year ago. Arizona also brings back Brian Casteel, who led the team with 40 catches in 2019 and Tayvian Cunningham who added 35 catches for 383 yards and two scores.

The biggest question will be who will take over at running back. The answer is likely a combination Gary Brightwell who ran for 400 yards and five scores on 66 attempts a year ago and Nathan Tilford, who ran for 238 yards and four touchdowns.

All-in-all, despite major losses with Tate and Johnson, Arizona’s offense has plenty of talent and an offensive-minded head coach in Sumlin who should help guide the group back near the top of the conference again in 2020.