Grant Gunnell, Sam Houston Football News: Draft Scout Player News

10/12/20 - QB Grant Gunnell, rSr/2025, Sam Houston

Teammates and coaches have noticed a change in the second-year passer, who played well in a part-time role as a freshman last year. Gunnell shared time with senior Khalil Tate. Gunnell led the offense at times but was never truly in a position to lead the team. He is now. "It's hard to be a vocal leader when you're a freshman," veteran center Josh McCauley said. "That's something he'll … continue to pick up as we progress and as we grow as a team." While the Wildcats were forced to be apart because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gunnell made a concerted effort to check up on his teammates - on both sides of the ball. He'd regularly send out text messages with a goal of "staying on top of guys, making sure everyone's OK, off the field, on the field," Gunnell said. "Making sure everyone's getting their work in in the weight room, not slacking."

Gunnell spoke out through social media and other channels when the Pac-12 football season was in limbo. He participated in the player-driven #WeWantToPlay movement in August. In September, Gunnell wrote and published a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom asking him to help clear a path for the four Pac-12 schools in that state to begin practice. "I had no idea he did any of that stuff; he just did it," said Noel Mazzone, Arizona's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "He's a very unselfish person. I think that just shows that what was important was not just, 'Hey I want to play football this year.' What it shows is his love for the game and his overall concern for all of college football, how important it is to our communities. "I think he sees that, and I think that was a pretty mature thing for him to do." - Arizona Star News

rSr/2025