Gundy Says Sanders Could Play in Texas Bowl, Expects Hubbard to Play

The Cowboys were without their electrifying freshman gunslinger, Spencer Sanders, in their past two games. But that could change come Dec. 27, and he just might line up alongside the nation’s leading rusher.

In the Texas Bowl conference call Sunday evening, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy had a simple answer when asked if there is a possibility freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders could return for OSU’s bowl game against Texas A&M.

“Yes,” Gundy said.

Sanders left OSU’s 31-13 victory against Kansas with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. The injury put Dru Brown into the Cowboys’ starting lineup for their games against West Virginia and Oklahoma.

But just like at the beginning of the season, it looks as if there will be questions as to who takes the first snap in OSU’s bowl bout.

“There’s nothing to hide,” Gundy said. “Everybody knows that he’s coming off of an injury. He’ll be released in, I guess, about 10 days. I don’t even know what day it is. What is today, the eighth? I think his follow-up is either on the 16th or 17th, so he would miss half of our bowl prep, but there’s a chance that they would release him 100 percent sometime around the 16th or 17th.”

OSU star running back Chuba Hubbard has a decision to make. A redshirt sophomore, Hubbard can declare for the NFL Draft after a 2019 season that saw him lead the nation with 1,936 rushing yards.

There has been a growing trend of NFL prospects skipping out on bowl games to preserve their bodies, and Hubbard hasn’t yet announced whether he will go pro after what was just his sophomore year. Regardless, Gundy said he expects to have No. 30 against A&M.

“Yes, I mean I haven’t talked to him about it,” Gundy said, “but I would expect him to play in this game.”