2018 Arizona Wildcats football team

The 2018 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season marked the Wildcats's 119th season. They played their home games at the Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona (for the 90th year) and competed members of the South Division (8th season) in the Pac-12 Conference (41st overall season). They were led by first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats finished the season 5–7 and did not qualify for a bowl game. They went 4–5 in Pac-12 play, tying USC for third place in the South Division.

Offseason departures
The Wildcats have 17 senior graduates only graduated players noted until spring practice. As well as one junior who would choose to forgo their senior season in pursuit of an earlier NFL career. The Wildcats would lose four more players from the 2017 team due to various reasons. Notable departures from the 2017 squad included.

Recruiting
On December 20, 2017, NCAA Football started the first ever early signing period which they signed 15 recruits. On the national signing day the Wildcats received 2 more high school recruits tipping off the signing period with a total of 20 high school recruits, 1 walk-on HS recruit, 2 JUCO transfers and 4 college transfers which totals 28 total recruits in the 2018 offseason.

 Source: 

Incoming transfers
In addition to the 2018 recruiting class, Arizona add two JC transfer players from junior college and six transfer players from college, which includes eligible for the current season, to the 2018 roster:

Position key

Returning starters
Arizona returns 30 starters in 2018, including 15 on offense, 9 on defense, and 5 on special teams.

Offensive starters

Defensive starters

Special Teams starters

† Indicates player was a starter in 2017 but missed all of 2018 due to injury.

Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released

Pac-12 media poll
The 2018 Pac-12 media days are set for July 25, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Kevin Sumlin (Head coach), Khalil Tate (QB) & Colin Schooler (ILB) at Pac-12 media days. The Pac-12 media poll was released with the Wildcats predicted to finish in third place at Pac-12 South division.

Spring game
The 2018 Wildcats had spring practice on March 19, 2018. The 2018 Arizona football spring game will take place in Tucson, AZ on April 14, 2018, and time to be determined.

Schedule
Arizona announced its 2018 football schedule on November 16, 2017. The 2018 Wildcats' schedule consists of 7 home and 4 away games for the regular season. Arizona will host nine Pac-12 conference opponents California, Colorado, Oregon, USC and arch-rival Arizona State for the 91st annual Territorial Cup to close out the regular season and will travel to UCLA, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State. Arizona is not scheduled to play Pac-12 North opponents Stanford and Washington in the 2018 regular season. The Wildcats bye week comes during week 11 on November 10.

Arizona's out of conference opponents represent the American and Big Sky conferences. The Wildcats will host two non–conference games which are against Southern Utah (first ever meeting) from the Big Sky and BYU (NCAA Division I FBS independent) and travel to Houston from the American.

vs Arizona State
This game featured one of the most biggest comebacks/collapses in Arizona football history. The Wildcats, needing a win to become bowl-eligible, dominated ASU for the first three quarters to lead 40–21 going into the fourth. However, Arizona, feeling like the game was over due to their 19-point lead, began to play conservatively by draining the clock, which led to being prone to turnovers, which seemed to motivate Arizona State. The Devils capitalized on the Wildcats’ errors and scored 20 points to take the lead with over three minutes left. The Wildcats drove down the field in the final minute to possibly regain but missed a field goal attempt and the Territorial Cup remained in the Phoenix area for another year. The Wildcats ended the season with a record of 5–7 (4–5 in Pac-12 play).

Many fans blamed Sumlin and the coaching staff for the loss by calling more running plays than passing ones in the final quarter. Sumlin said that the team wanted to run the ball more to drain more time to keep the lead, but that doing so would lead to mistakes. He also believed that the loss affected the program, particularly in recruiting, which led to mixed results on the field and a period of futility, in which it became a factor in Sumlin's firing after the 2020 season.

Coaching staff
Arizona's coaching staff has finalized as of February 22, 2018.

Depth chart
Starters and backups.

Depth Chart Source: 2018 Arizona Wildcats Football Fact Book

True Freshman

Double Position : *

Team
Non-conference opponents

Pac-12 opponents

Score total by Quarters

Offense
Note: G = Games played; ATT = Attempts; YDS = Yards; AVG = Average yard per carry; LG = Longest run; TD = Rushing touchdowns
 * Rushing

Note: G = Games played; COMP = Completions; ATT = Attempts; COMP % = Completion percentage; YDS = Passing yards; TD = Passing touchdowns; INT = Interceptions; EFF = Passing efficiency
 * Passing

Note: G = Games played; REC = Receptions; YDS = Yards; AVG = Average yard per catch; LG = Longest catch; TD = Receiving touchdowns
 * Receiving

Defense
Note: G = Games played; Solo = Solo tackles; Ast = Assisted tackles; Total = Total tackles; TFL-Yds = Tackles for loss-yards lost; Sack = Sacks; INT = Interceptions; PD = Passes defended; FF = Forced fumbles; FR = Forced recoveries

Special teams
Kick and punt returning

Note: G = Games played; PR = Punt returns; PYDS = Punt return yards; PLG = Punt return long; KR = Kick returns; KYDS = Kick return yards; KLG = Kick return long; TD = Total return touchdowns

Kicking

Note: G = Games played; FGM = Field goals made; FGA = Field goals attempted; LG = Field goal long; XPT = Extra points made; XPT ATT = XPT attempted; In20 = Kicking inside the 20; 20-29 = Kicking inside the 20-29; 30-39 = Kicking inside the 30-39; 40-49 = Kicking inside the 40-49; 50 = Kicking inside the 50; TP = Total points

Punting

Note: G = Games played; P = Punts; YDS = Yards; AVG = Average per punt; LG = Punt long; In20 = Punts inside the 20; TB = Touchbacks

Weekly awards

 * Khalil Tate
 * Pac-12 Rose Bowl Player of the Week, week 3 vs Southern Utah


 * J. J. Taylor
 * Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, week 4 vs Oregon State

All-Americans

 * J. J. Taylor, RB – AP Third Team

All-Pac-12 teams
3rd Team


 * J. J. Taylor, Running Back (AP-3)

Radio

 * ESPN Radio – (ESPN Tucson 1490 AM & 104.09 FM) – Nationwide (Dish Network, Sirius XM, TuneIn radio and iHeartRadio)
 * KCUB 1290 AM – Football Radio Show – (Tucson, AZ)
 * KHYT – 107.5 FM (Tucson, AZ)
 * KTKT 990 AM – La Hora de Los Gatos (Spanish) – (Tucson, AZ)
 * KGME 910 AM – (IMG Sports Network) – (Phoenix, AZ)
 * KTAN 1420 AM – (Sierra Vista, AZ)
 * KDAP 96.5 FM (Douglas, Arizona)
 * KWRQ 102.3 FM – (Safford, AZ/Thatcher, AZ)
 * KIKO 1340 AM – (Globe, AZ)
 * KVWM 970 AM – (Show Low, AZ/Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ)
 * XENY 760 – (Nogales, Sonora) (Spanish)

TV

 * CBS Family - KOLD (CBS), CBSN
 * ABC/ESPN Family - KGUN (ABC), ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+,
 * FOX Family - KMSB (FOX), FOX/FS1, FSN
 * Pac-12 Network (Pac-12 Arizona)