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Arizona QB Khalil Tate returning for senior season

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate (14) during an NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate (14) during an NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate looks like he won’t be heading to the NFL draft or pursuing a transfer.

First reported by the Arizona Daily Star and confirmed by a team spokesperson, Tate is planning on returning to Arizona for his senior season. Tate’s 2018 was a disappointing sequel as he was hobbled by an ankle injury, and he was reportedly not given a first or second-round grade by the NFL’s draft advisory committee. From the Daily Star:

Tate and his parents spoke with Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin on Tuesday. They collectively concluded that Tate’s best move would be to return in 2019 and work to improve his game.

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Tate emerged as one of the most dynamic players in 2017 after taking over as Arizona’s starting quarterback in Rich Rodriguez’s final season as coach. Tate was 111-of-179 passing for 1,591 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. But that’s not the crazy stat. He had more yards per rush than he did per pass. Tate had 153 carries for 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged over nine yards per carry and should probably have been in the top 10 of the Heisman voting.

He entered 2018 as a Heisman favorite in Sumlin’s first season and the top-ranked player in Yahoo’s inaugural college fantasy football season. But an early-season ankle injury suffered against Houston nagged him for most of the year.

The combination of the injury and the new offensive scheme led to Tate throwing the ball a lot more. He was 170-of-302 passing for 2,530 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. While his yards per pass went up, his rushing activity cratered. Tate ended up with just 74 carries for 225 yards and two touchdowns. If he and the coaching staff can figure out the right balance between passing and running efficiency and Tate stays healthy in 2019, he could sneak back into the Heisman conversation.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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