Grant Gunnell

Position: Quarterback

Rank: Three-star, No. 15 position, No. 418 nationally

Height: 6-6

Weight: 222 pounds

Hometown (high school): Houston (St. Pius X)

When he committed: June 6, 2018

Status: Signed national letter of intent

How he fits: Grant Gunnell probably won’t start as a freshman if Khalil Tate decides to return to Arizona, but the Wildcats could have their quarterback of the future, or at least he looks the part and has the reputation to become the next gunslinger at UA.

Per 247Sports.com, Gunnell is Arizona’s second-highest ranked recruit behind Belgian defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen, and comes in with high expectations based off what he’s done at one of the highest levels of high school football in the country.

In October, the three-star Gunnell became all-time passing yards and touchdowns leader in Texas prep history and finished his high school career at Houston’s St. Pius X with 16,108 and 195, respectively. He broke Hunter Lile’s record. Lile played from 2011-14. Gunnell passed notable Texas quarterbacks along the way including Drew Brees, Nick Foles, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Case Keenum, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield. Gunnell isn’t the prototypical dual-threat quarterback like Tate or the more recent prospects to come through the UA in the past, but his stature and arm resemble a player like Foles. How does that translate to Noel Mazzone’s offense?

Mazzone has worked with pocket-passing quarterbacks like Gunnell such as 6-foot-7-inch Brock Osweiler at ASU and 6-foot-4-inch Josh Rosen at UCLA who’s now starting as a rookie for the Arizona Cardinals. “Those are guys that look like me — spitting images,” Gunnell told the Star in September. “That was one of the main things I was looking for. I’m kind of what he wants.” With Tate at quarterback, the Wildcats could be more prone to running run-pass-option plays, but with the less-mobile Gunnell in the backfield, UA could run a similar style of offense to when Foles played from 2009-11. If Tate leaves Arizona, the quarterback job is wide open and Gunnell could be the one that gets his number called. If Tate stays, the Arizona quarterback room will be full, considering current freshmen Jamarye Joiner and Kevin Doyle return, plus Rhett Rodriguez and K’Hari Lane are also expected to be back at the UA in 2019. No shortage of quarterbacks in Tucson, at least for next season.

He said it: “A once-in-a-generation-type quarterback,” St. Pius X head coach Erik DeHaven said. “Everything he does on the field is the same as what he does off the field. There’s no difference between the two. He’s a positive leader of our young men. He is who he is. He’s special.”