Oregon State Football 2024 Review + 2025 Preview: Quarterbacks

With the Oregon State football team preparing for the start of spring football in March, BeaversEdge continues a series recapping each position group's play from 2024 and previewing what the group will look like in spring...

2024 Quarterback Room

Ben Gulbranson - Rs-Jr. -> Moving on from football

Gevani McCoy - Jr. -> Transfer Portal

Gabarri Johnson - Rs-Fr.

Kallen Gutridge - Tr.Fr. - Redshirted

Walk-ons

Jake Sanders - Rs-Sr.

Dom Montiel - Rs-So. -> Transfer Portal

Stats

McCoy - 9 GS (10 GP) - 123-of-202 (61%) for 1,300 yards, 3 TD, 6 INT - 59 carries, 328 yards, 5 TD

Gulbranson - 3 GS (5 GP) - 78-of-128 (61%) for 943 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT - 1 rush TD

Johnson - 6 GP - 15-of-29 (52%) for 174 yards, 1 INT - 26 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD

Gutridge: DNP

Montiel: DNP

Sanders: DNP

2024 Recap

After the 2023 campaign, the Oregon State quarterback room saw DJ Uiagalelei and Aidan Chiles hit the transfer portal, giving new head coach Trent Bray and new offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson limited options for a dynamic starting quarterback to helm the offense in 2024.

The Beavers returned the trusted and reliable Ben Gulbranson, but his skill set wasn't a perfect fit for Gunderson's new spread-style scheme. So that left the transfer portal as the best avenue for the Beavers to acquire ready-made talent.

They landed Idaho transfer QB Gevani McCoy, who had several seasons of starting experience including a Jerry Rice Player of The Year Award winner, and took a flyer on a high-upside, but raw QB in Gabarri Johnson from Missouri.

The Beavers took two QBs on two different timelines, hoping that McCoy would either win the job or push Gulbranson, while Johnson was a bit more of a developmental piece in the short term.

The quarterback battle between the trio, which was more of a head-to-head between McCoy and Gulbranson, continued through spring and into fall camp before McCoy was ultimately named the starter.