It’s transfer season in college football, but don’t expect Khalil Tate to be among the players on the move.
Even though Arizona made a recent coaching change by firing Rich Rodriguez as head coach, Tate’s mother says the sophomore quarterback is not going anywhere.
“He fell in love with U of A as a 15-year-old teenager, so he is a Wildcat for life,” Tate’s mother told the Arizona Daily Star in a text message. “It was very important to Khalil to pick the college he wanted to attend over picking a coach to play for.
“We all are waiting to see who will be hired as Arizona’s new head coach.”
Tate’s presence at quarterback makes the Arizona job attractive. He became a starter in October and rushed for at least 137 yards in each of his first six starts, leading the Wildcats to a 5-1 record in that span. Arizona finished the season on a three-game losing streak, but Tate passed for five touchdowns in the bowl game loss to Purdue, which was another strong sign about his ability.
There has been little buzz about how Arizona’s coaching search is progressing. When news of Rodriguez’s firing first emerged, Kevin Sumlin and Butch Jones were mentioned as potential candidates.
