What history tells us about Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State football QB competitions

The Oklahoman
STILLWATER — In the summer of 2018, it seemed like Oklahoma State was heading for a preseason quarterback competition between former walk-on Taylor Cornelius, Hawaii transfer Dru Brown and four-star recruit Spencer Sanders.
That is, until coach Mike Gundy’s appearance at Big 12 Media Days in mid-July when he announced Cornelius as the starter before the other two had even taken a practice snap.
A year later, it seemed less likely that the Cowboys would have a QB derby, with Sanders coming out of his redshirt year, and Brown having barely seen the field the season before.
But as late as his final pregame press conference for the season opener at Oregon State, Gundy was still suggesting he might opt for a two-QB system.
The point? Don’t bother predicting how Gundy will handle a quarterback competition.
Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman looks to throw a pass during an Oklahoma State University football practice in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Aug., 2, 2023.
To be fair, the two mentioned above are the only ones he’s had to deal with since 2014, thanks to three offseasons each of Sanders and Mason Rudolph as established starters.
But this year aligns more with the 2019 preseason situation, even though transfer Alan Bowman is a newcomer to the program, and the top returning players, Garret Rangel and Gunnar Gundy, combined for four starts last fall.
Still, outwardly, it feels like Bowman’s experience at his previous stops — particularly his 19 games and 5,200 passing yards at Texas Tech — plus the way he established himself as a leader in the spring would have moved him to the front of the line.
“I should know this. He’s probably, like, 24 years old,” Mike Gundy said, overestimating Bowman’s age by a year. “As we all know, in this game, there’s a considerable difference between a 24-year-old and a 20-year-old. Just like there is from 18 to 22. Just experience.”
Yet regardless of what outsiders think about the status of the Cowboy quarterbacks, Mike Gundy knows he needs to give his younger guys a shot at the job, which is why he doesn’t expect to settle on a depth chart before the middle of August.
“Whether we like it or not, we live in the age of the portal,” Gundy said Wednesday after the Cowboys’ first practice of the preseason. “And in this time, we need to make sure as coaches more so than ever that we give everybody quality time to work it out position-wise based on their work on the field.”
Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Garret Rangel (13) throws a pass during a college football game between Oklahoma State and West Virginia at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
So, whether the talent comparisons necessitate a quarterback competition, Gundy feels he needs to be fair to his top three candidates. And he hasn’t said anything to suggest the talent comparison doesn’t also necessitate the competition. Those assertions have been more speculative from the outside than tangible from the inside.
As for the comparison to 2019, don’t expect Gundy to drag this competition into late August, or suggest he might play two QBs against Central Arkansas in the Sept. 2 opener.
But Gundy will speak to the media three more times in the next 10 days, and any news on his quarterback depth chart before the final of the three — Saturday, Aug. 12 — should be considered surprising.
Bowman, who is off limits to the media as a first-year player in the program, has done all the right things since arriving in January. Those who know him — whether they met him in Stillwater six months ago, at Cross Timbers Middle School in Grapevine, Texas, nine years ago or somewhere in between — speak highly of his ability to own a locker room, bond with players and pull a team together.
OSU players were drawn to his natural leadership in the spring. He organized a trip to San Diego with five receivers to get some extra work together in the summer. And he has endeared himself to his teammates at every opportunity.
“He always, before we do anything at practice, gives everyone a high-five,” redshirt senior right tackle Jake Springfield said. “He’s really big on holding people accountable, especially at QB. We’ll follow him anywhere and I’m excited to have him.”
Oklahoma State's Gunnar Gundy during an OSU spring football practice in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, April 17, 2023.
But Rangel and Gunnar Gundy have invested in the program and are viewed as strong leaders by their teammates as well, so they deserve their shot. Mike Gundy wants to make sure they get it.
The coach understands both the importance of developing young quarterbacks, and also the difficulty of keeping quarterbacks on the roster if they don’t see a future for themselves.
And a quick way to make sure a player feels negatively about his future is to deprive him of a shot at the No. 1 job when he has done enough to earn that shot.
“It’ll be interesting to watch how things transpire as we go through things at the quarterback position,” Gundy said. “I have shared with the staff that up through the first 10, 12 days or so of practice that I want guys working with different groups, I want concepts minimized, and when we name a depth chart, I want to look them all in the eye and say everyone had a fair shot.
“I think that’s all we can do as coaches for the players. Then I think the players will respect that.”