QB Khalil Tate Will Return to Arizona Football in 2019 for Senior Season

It wasn't long ago that quarterback Khalil Tate was a Heisman Trophy contender for the Arizona Wildcats.

Now he has to announce he is staying put instead of transferring.

The 20-year-old confirmed Wednesday he will return to the Wildcats for his final season after meeting with head coach Kevin Sumlin, per Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star. 

Lev noted Tate and his parents met with Sumlin and collectively determined his best path to success would be returning to the Wildcats next season to improve his game. 

This comes after Jason Scheer of 247Sports reported in November that Tate was leaning toward either transferring or entering the NFL draft due to a "disconnect" with offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. The 2018 campaign was the 61-year-old's first with the Wildcats after he came over as part of head coach Kevin Sumlin's staff.

Mazzone reportedly attempted to turn Tate into a pocket passer rather than the dual threat he was earlier in his career. It even reached the point when the player would be "ridiculed if he took off running instead of going through progressions."

Scheer noted Mazzone wanted there to be true competition between Tate and incoming freshman Grant Gunnell prior to the 2019 season, which didn't sit well with the former after three years in the program.

Joe Pequeno of CBS Phoenix also cited sources in November who said the Californian was strongly considering transferring.

The difference in Tate's play with Mazzone at offensive coordinator and without him was clear. He was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in 2017 and found himself firmly in the Heisman race for stretches of the season on his way to 1,591 passing yards, 1,411 rushing yards, 14 touchdown throws and 12 touchdown runs.

He led the Wildcats to a 7-5 record during the regular season and a Foster Farms Bowl appearance.

Arizona was a mere 5-7 in 2018 and capped off its season with a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to Arizona State that prevented it from reaching bowl eligibility. Tate threw the ball 302 times after attempting 179 passes in 2017, resulting in 2,530 passing yards and 26 touchdown throws.

However, he ran for a mere 225 yards and two touchdowns, and the offense fell from 41.3 points per game in 2017 (fifth in the country) to 31.3 in 2018.

The question now is whether Tate will again tap into his dual-threat abilities that allowed the Wildcats to be a much more effective offense. Arizona enjoyed more success as an offense and in the standings when he was running more, and Scheer's report noted Sumlin's increased involvement as the 2018 campaign progressed led to the quarterback being asked to run more.

If more running leads to more winning and another bowl appearance, Arizona fans will surely be pleased with Tate's return.