BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2024: No. 12 QB Ben Gulbranson

In the months leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2024 roster.

Want to give your two cents on the rankings?

Subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation.

No. 12 QB Ben Gulbranson

Bio

No. 17

6-foot-3, 216-pounds

Rs-Junior

Newbury Park, Calif.

Newbury Park HS

2023 Stats: 2 GP (Played vs Stanford & Notre Dame, 186 passing yards, 1 TD)

2023 Recap / 2022 Look Back

After winning Las Vegas Bowl MVP honors and closing out Oregon State's 2022 season with a 7-1 record as a starter, Gulbranson had to take a step back in the QB room in 2023 as the Beavers brought in a pair of high-level players in former Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei and four-star freshman Aidan Chiles.

Uiagalelei was brought in to elevate the quarterback position in the short term, and the Beavers had a lot invested in Chiles, so that meant that Gulbranson was the third-string quarterback.

The impressive thing about Gulbranson was his attitude throughout the entire process...

There have been numerous instances where a guy with the circumstances of Ben would have opted to hit the transfer portal to find a place to play, but that thought didn't cross his mind.

He quietly went about his business, continued to improve, and then four months after fall camp found himself the leader in the clubhouse being counted on to play against Notre Dame in the wake of Uiagalelei and Chiles' departures.

While the Beavers didn't have a whole lot to ride home about that day, Gulbranson still went 16-of-27 for 180 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and that was his first extended in-game reps in over a year.

Add in the fact that the roster was in flux with the coaching/player departures, and it wasn't exactly a perfect set of circumstances when he started against the Irish, yet he made the best of it and was all-in on returning in 2024...

Embed content not availableManage privacy settings

2024 Outlook

There are a couple of things working in Gulbranson's favor to win the starting quarterback job for the Beavers this season.

Firstly, he's easily the most experienced option and has played and won big-time games in his career. Sure, he was aided by a strong run game and received the "game manager" label to an extent, but success is still success, and that 7-1 mark in 2022 is still nothing to scoff at.

Secondly, his skillset appears to be a much better fit for Ryan Gunderson's spread-style offense compared to Brian Lindgren's pro-style offense. From what we were able to see in spring, Gulbranson was able to make that transition somewhat seamlessly and he was the most consistent quarterback throughout spring before suffering an injury late that kept him out of the spring game.

Gulbranson doesn't have the biggest arm, so moving to an offense that is going to feature more quick passes, and getting playmakers the ball in space quickly, rather than a developing 5-6-second pass play, is going to benefit his skill set.

I'm curious to see if he can elevate his ceiling in the new offense, but if there's a slight knock on Gulbranson is that the ceiling might not be as high as others on the roster. However, you've got to credit him for sticking with his process and looking like the most comfortable QB in spring.

As we enter fall camp, Gulbranson has a slight edge in the quarterback race in my mind because I believe he's the Beavers' safest option. You know what you're going to get with Ben, but I do think he'll achieve another level in this offense.

However, if the Beavers want to bank on a high-ceiling and longer-term potential upside, Gulbranson may not be the pick at QB with Gevani McCoy and Gabarri Johnson's skillsets being slightly more favorable for the offense.

I believe Gulbranson has the slightest of nods amongst the three due to his play in spring and his experience, but this QB battle is far from over. However, Gulbranson is no stranger to QB competitions so it should be a very exciting storyline to watch in camp...