In the process of being dismantled at home by Washington, a hero was born at Arizona Stadium.
His name is Grant Gunnell.
A freshman quarterback for the Wildcats, Gunnell has received a sort-of cult following in Tucson.
Gunnell is a 6-foot-5, 222-pound recruit out of Texas who was not supposed to play much in the 2019 season with incumbent Khalil Tate holding down the starting role. But an injury kept Tate out of the UCLA game, thrusting Gunnell into the starting job.
He promptly went 29-of-44 for 352 yards and a touchdown in a winning effort.
A quarterback controversy began to brew in Tucson. After Gunnell’s mop-up duty in a blowout of Northern Arizona (9-of-11, 151 yards, three touchdowns) and leading the Wildcats to a win over UCLA, many in Tucson had the idea to start using Gunnell more and more.
Then Washington happened.
The Huskies clobbered the Wildcats to the tune of 51-27. Tate was benched late, paving the way for Gunnell to get some action. Gunnell was nothing special, finishing just 3-of-8 for 25 yards, but the seed had been planted and watered.
Gunnell played the majority of Arizona’s next game: a loss to USC. Gunnel completed 16-of-26 passes for 196 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and an interception (his only of the season). A trip to Palo Alto pushed the Wildcats to a 4-4, but Gunnell completed all seven of his passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
The 4-4 Wildcats limped home to take a fifth loss as Oregon State beat Arizona on homecoming weekend. Gunnell yet again outplayed Tate, nailing 19-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Looking at the entire profile of stats, Gunnell has a higher completion percentage, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt, and passer rating.
Is it time to completely replace Khalil Tate?
Logically, speaking Tate is a senior, and Gunnell is a freshman. Arizona should not rush the process for Gunnell, the likely starter for the next three seasons.
What should college football fans look for over the next few seasons out of Grant Gunnell?
Gunnell has looked poised under pressure throughout the season, and he has been able to make consistently effective throws under duress and in a clean pocket.
From the eye test, Gunnell appears to be a quality option moving forward. Arizona seemed to have found their quarterback of the next few years.
NFL Prospects?
Gunnell has the prototypical size to be an NFL quarterback. Standing at 6-foot-5, Gunnell has the same height as recent draftees Daniel Jones, Josh Allen, and Mason Rudolph. Being 6-foot-5 gives Gunnell an extra advantage as a quarterback, but the NFL has been shifting away from the traditional tall quarterback as players such as Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson have had tremendous amounts of success.
Gunnell is not a statue in the pocket, helping his NFL viability. While not as mobile as Khalil Tate, Gunnell appears to pick and choose his spots in terms of finding running lanes and escaping the pocket.
Gunnell has shown good-to-great accuracy as a freshman, a tool that could be honed to an elite level in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
Things are looking up in Tucson, and I think the Wildcats have found their quarterback of the future in Grant Gunnell.
