Not new to Oklahoma State’s appearance at Big 12 media days: Mike Gundy‘s mullet. What first seemed like a sideshow a few years back is now a mainstay. “As long as it makes me look younger, I’m going to keep it,” he said Monday.
New to Oklahoma State’s appearance at Big 12 media days: quarterback uncertainty. The Pokes enjoyed three stable seasons of Mason Rudolph, and in 2018 Gundy took to the media days podium to declare fifth-year senior Taylor Cornelius as his starter.
For the first time since 2014 (pre-mullet days), Gundy is not sure who will start at quarterback for him this fall.
“We haven’t had anyone take the reins. I’d like to give you a timetable (on naming a starter) but can’t. If neither one gives us indication before first game, we’ll play both guys,” Gundy said.
Both guys, in this case, are Dru Brown and Spencer Sanders, who are similar in depth chart standing but nothing else.
Brown is a fifth-year senior who arrived in Stillwater by way of the College of San Mateo and Hawai’i. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound gunslinger appeared in 25 games as a Warrior and started his final 22, throwing for 5,273 yards and 37 touchdowns before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he redshirted. Sanders, meanwhile, stands 6-foot-2 with a rocket arm and active legs. While he bows in experience to Brown, the redshirt freshman is superior to Brown in natural talent. As a senior at Denton Ryan (Texas) High School in 2017, Sanders threw for 3,845 yards and 54 scores while rushing for 1,380 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Based on those attributes, it seems logical to deduce that unless Brown displays pinpoint accuracy with the football, their deadlock in the race for the QB1 job will cease if and when Sanders’ familiarity with the college game catches his ability.
“Whenever we’re ready to name a starter based on him winning the job, we’ll do that,” said Gundy.
Whoever does win the ability to take the first snap against Oregon State on Aug. 30 figures to profit immediately, as they will throw to a receiving corps that returns all five players who caught at least 22 passes last season, including the 86-catch, 1,491-yard, 12-touchdown Biletnikoff Award candidate in junior wideout Tylan Wallace.
