Gunnar Gundy Could Make First Career Start for OSU; Three Things to Know

With Spencer Sanders carrying a game-time decision designation into OSU’s 2:30 p.m. kick on Saturday against Kansas, all eyes are on Mike Gundy’s middle son, Gunnar, who could unexpectedly be thrust into a major role in a must-win situation.

Gunnar all season has been listed as No. 2 on the QB depth chart and would presumably start vs. KU if Sanders cannot go, though one source told PFB that true freshman QB Garret Rangel is also a possible option. Either way it seems increasingly possible, if not likely, that one of Gundy or Rangel will play after a week in which OSU said it planned to give Sanders lots of rest after suffering a shoulder injury vs. Kansas State. Sanders is no doubt pushing to play, but his status is reportedly “uncertain” vs. the Jayhawks, and signs point to him likely sitting Saturday.

Gundy was thrust into action last week against Kansas State with the game already well out of hand. He completed two of his seven passing attempts for 16 yards and one interception.

“He did okay,” Mike Gundy said of his son after watching the tape. “From an evaluation stage, we’re down 40-something points, you know, they’re in pure drop. So there’s some minimal evaluation going on. But he functioned and knew where to go with the ball, made throws. Tried to throw one out cut over the drop player’s head, which you know, he would probably tell you that, ‘I could have made that throw but maybe not now.’ So there are some things that he did good and there’s some things that he learned.”

Here are three things to know about Gunnar in the event he is elevated to No. 1 duties.

1. Gunnar walked on

His father is the head coach, so of course, using a scholarship on his son might have been frowned upon, I reckon, even if he was the No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of Stillwater High. (OK, so maybe not if that was the case.) Either way: Gundy is a walk-on. He joined the program in the spring semester of 2021 and spent the 2021-22 season redshirting. He played in one game, completed no passes and recorded one rushing attempt for one yard. Gundy chose to walk on despite Toledo, Eastern Michigan and other smaller schools showing interest.

2. Gundy edged out 2022 signee Garret Rangel for QB2 to start season

People around Stillwater rave about Garret Rangel and his potential — the 2022 signee from Lone Star Frisco was a four-star talent and he has a big arm and a ton of poise — but Gundy notably edged out Rangel for No. 2 on the QB depth chart to start the season. OSU always planned to redshirt Rangel, but Gundy earning the No. 2 job over a scholarship player — even a true freshman — is still big. He’s long drawn praise as a film junkie and grinder who always strives to improve to an obsessive level, so his work ethic and effort is not in question. That said, late momentum this week has suggested Rangel may be involved — and could start — so it’s worth monitoring all the way up until kickoff.

3. Gundy was wildly successful in high school

No, his recruitment wasn’t that of a five-star recruit, but Gunnar put up big numbers and won at a high clip at Stillwater High. He finished his career with several passing records, including career touchdowns, and touched it off with back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state championship. Overall he was 32-5 after taking over as starting as a sophomore.

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