Oklahoma State hasn’t named a starting quarterback for 2019 but you can bet that Coach Mike Gundy will have one that will do well running his high-powered offense.

After a disappointing 7-6 season in 2018, OSU lost offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich to Ohio State and Gundy hired Princeton’s Sean Gleeson. They will pick between redshirt freshman Spencer Sanders or Hawaii graduate transfer Dru Brown to start at quarterback.

How will the coaches make that determination?

“Whenever we’re ready to name a starter based on him earning the job, we’ll do that,” Gundy said during Big 12 Media Days in Dallas. “I think if you look back at my history, we have named guys at times when people didn’t think we were going to name a starter because we felt like they earned the job, gave our team the best chance to be successful and win games.

“Both guys on our team right now have worked hard. We haven’t had anybody go ahead and take the reins at this pick point. So, we’re ready for them to split reps. If at any time, one becomes our starter based on us feeling like they give us the best chance to win a football game, we will name a starter. I would like to tell you that but I would be reaching.

“I do know this: Our team is confident in both young men. If neither one of them gives us any indication that they’ve taken the job prior to the first game, we will play both guys. I think that’s fair.”

Gleeson is not expected to make major changes to the offense.

“We’re going to run the same system,” Gundy said.  He’s had success (with) pure drop-back quarterbacks, guys that could run around a little bit. He’s been in 10-personnel, 11-personnel, 12-personnel. He’s played with speed at times.

“He’s young. He’s a good technician with quarterbacks. He’s got a bright personality. He’s good in homes at recruiting quarterbacks. We all know this. You can’t coach quarterbacks in our conference if you can’t recruit a player to get into our conference and have success…”

Gundy prefers to develop quarterbacks that he has recruited versus depending on transfers.

“We have not been in the transfer business at the quarterback position,” Gundy said. “Our quarterbacks have been developed in our organization over a number of years. That’s been our history for a long, long time. I know there has been a number of quarterbacks across the country transferring to other programs and becoming one-year starters.

“I can’t really speak to that a lot. I know that ironically for whatever reason there have been a number of young men in our league over the last ten years that have played fantastic at the quarterback position.

“People can debate that and discuss on either side, but for the most part I’m going to go back to the head coaches and the offensive coordinators in this league that are willing to do anything it takes to try to score every single play. I don’t think there is an approach like that in any other league, but it’s been that way in this league for a long time.”

This will be the second season for OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Last year, the Cowboys were 10th national in sacks but surrendered 32.5 points per game. That puts a lot of pressure on the offense to score a lot of points.

“Our system is going to stay the same,” Gundy said. “Hopefully we can play it better. We need to be a more disciplined defensive football team. I think Coach [Jim] Knowles’ second year will give him a better feel for this league.

“It’s different in our conference, (with) the willingness of head coaches and offensive coordinators trying to score every play and I think Coach Knowles understands that maybe more so than last year. You kind of get into a groove in this league and figure it out, but we’re going to run the same plays, hopefully we will be better at executing those plays.”

Gundy said he is genuinely excited about his team’s prospects in 2019.

“We didn’t play as well last year as we should have, in my opinion, and it was the result of me not doing my job and holding coaches and players accountable,” Gundy said. “We weren’t a very disciplined football team. We weren’t a very tough football team. Those are two areas that we can control the outcome.

“I feel like we need to be a more disciplined, physical, tough football team. So I’m going to make a point as I did in the spring and hopefully it carried on this summer when the players were working out and obviously we’re not out there with them, to be a more disciplined, physical football team, and I think that will help our team. So I’m excited about just seeing the results.”