Can Wes Lunt or J.W. Walsh Still Receive Redshirts?

Photo Attribution: US Presswire

With the news that J.W. Walsh will be sidelined for the rest of the season a lot of people have asked about the viability of redshirting both he and Wes Lunt for the remainder of the year.

First of all, neither can receive a regular redshirt. If you play one play during the regular season in any sport you are ineligible to receive a regular redshirt (plus Walsh already received one last year).

But there are four criteria for receiving a medical redshirt. Let’s take a look at each of them individually and see if Walsh or Lunt qualifies.

First up — Walsh

1. The student-athlete must suffer the injury during one of their four seasons of college competition or during the senior year of high school.

Check.

2. The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season.

Check, barely.

3. The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30% of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.

Negative, Walsh has played in all six games which, even if you include the bowl game, is 46% of the season. So Walsh is not a candidate for a medical redshirt.

OK, on to Lunt.

1. The student-athlete must suffer the injury during one of their four seasons of college competition or during the senior year of high school.

Check.

2. The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season.

Check.

3. The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30% of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.

Check.

4. The injury must be incapacitating. That means it must be a season-ending injury.

Uhhh.

Well, not exactly.

The problem is that this isn’t an OSU decision, it’s an NCAA decision. Lunt can apply for a medical redshirt but the NCAA holds the cards. And there are two Gundy quotes that aren’t exactly going to be favorable IF OSU decides to go the redshirt route:

Gundy says Wes Lunt was available to play. #okstate

— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) October 14, 2012

Gundy on Lunt: "He could have played today. … We want to make sure he's healthy before we put him in because he's a freshman." #okstate

— Kelly Hines (@KellyHinesTW) October 20, 2012

Let’s look at a similar situation with Michigan last season. Backup QB Devin Gardner hurt his back and even though he was “still able to do stuff” according to Brady Hoke he applied for a medical redshirt following a season in which he only played three games (sound familiar?)

Here’s the weird part though, Gardner and Michigan won’t find out until the end of his career whether or not the redshirt will be granted.

Wait, what?

Yep, the NCAA won’t give him an answer until after his fourth season of college football.

The entire process is a shady one (he’s hurt but he still “does stuff!”) and Lunt would likely be in the same boat if he doesn’t play in any more games this season.

“I was hurt!”
“You warmed up for Kansas and Iowa State!”
“Here’s my doctor’s note!”

It also probably doesn’t help things that Gundy is calling him day-to-day right now.

So the two options are as follows:

1. Play a probably-not-100% Lunt using Clint Chelf as his backup.
2. Play the season out with Chelf and take your chances with the NCAA giving Lunt a redshirt.

I vote for option 1 and I’m pretty sure Gundy will too.

Also, I’m not saying the NCAA wouldn’t give him a redshirt, just that it’s not a done deal like everybody (literally everybody) is writing and saying. OSU doesn’t get to choose, only apply to an organization that…uh…hasn’t exactly ruled favorably in a lot of its past pleas.