Washington State football hoping it has hit QB transfer jackpot again

After Luke Falk graduated, Washington State football hit the transfer jackpot with Gardner Minshew. Now, Mike Leach is hoping to do it once more.

The NCAA granted Gage Gubrud immediate eligibility, giving the Cougars a possible successor to Minshew in the form of a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist and one of the top quarterbacks in FCS over the past three years.

Gubrud led Eastern Washington for three seasons, throwing for 9,984 yards and 87 touchdowns. That included a 5,160-yard, 48-touchdown season in 2016 where he completed 386 of 570 passes and averaged over 368 yards per game.

The following year, Gubrud threw for over 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns, playing in five games this past year before an injury sent him to the sidelines. Despite going over the four-game mark, Gubrud was granted a redshirt year due to Eastern Washington reaching the FCS national championship game.

He also has some experience playing against Washington State, as he threw for 474 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-42 win over the Cougars in his first career start.

Minshew came to Wazzu from East Carolina, guiding the program to a school-record 11 wins. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting and attracted national attention for both his mustache and his ability to lead the Air Raid offense under Leach.

Gubrud will be one of the frontrunners to replace MInshew and should have a leg-up on the likes of Trey Tinsley, Anthony Gordon, Cammon Cooper and Gunner Cruz due to his experience under center. He played in 32 games over the past four years, starting almost all of them.

If Gubrud can pick up the offense and get in early work with the returning receivers, it is possible that Washington State earns some preseason favorite honors as rival Washington must replace Jake Browning under center. This could finally be the year that the Cougars win the Apple Cup and play for the Pac-12 title.