Gage Gubrud next in line to put up big numbers in Mike Leach’s offense

After being granted another year of eligibility, Gage Gubrud is in line to be the next quarterback to put up serious numbers in Mike Leach’s offense.

As they looked to replace Pac-12 career yardage and touchdown leader Luke Falk, Washington State landed on grad transfer Gardner Minshew and got great results last season. With Minshew now headed to the NFL, Mike Leach is going back to the experience well under center with Eastern Washington transfer Gage Gubrud.

After being limited to five games by a toe injury last season, Gubrud applied for a medical hardship waiver (and a sixth year of eligibility) alongside his decision to make the jump to Washington State.

The Spokesman-Review reported Gubrud was initially denied an extra year of eligibility. But NCAA rules say a player is eligible for a medical redshirt if he played in one-third or fewer of his team’s games. Eastern Washington’s run to the FCS national title game pushed them to 15 games last season, so Gubrud just made the cut.

Gubrud will be eligible immediately at Washington State this fall, but he’s also set to enroll in school this spring and that means he’ll be able to participate in spring practice.

Gubrud made his first collegiate start against Washington State in 2016, leading the Eagles to a 45-42 upset of the Cougars in Pullman. In 32 games at Eastern Washington, he threw for 9,984 yards (64.6 percent completion rate) with 87 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. A two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, Gubrud also ran for over 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground during his career at Eastern Washington.

Minshew’s backups last year, former JUCO transfers Trey Tinsley and Anthony Gordon, combined to go 10-of-14 for 80 yards last season and are expected to be part of the competition for the starting job. Former four-star recruit Cammon Cooper is entering his redshirt freshman season and is expected to be in the mix for the starting gig, along with incoming true freshman Gunner Cruz.

Barring an injury or a complete face plant in spring practice, Gubrud is the easy favorite to win the starting job for the Cougars and be the next quarterback to put up some serious numbers piloting Leach’s Air Raid offense.