STILLWATER - Mike Gundy's unwillingness to name the Oklahoma State starting quarterback has spurred at least two fan-generated conspiracy theories.
To shoot down one seriously suggested, Wes Lunt is not hiding out in Stillwater as part of a covert mission to surprise first opponent Mississippi State. His transfer to Illinois would be impossible to fake.
The odds of the other happening also seem unlikely - that Arizona transfer Daxx Garman has surpassed senior Clint Chelf and sophomore J.W. Walsh for the top spot.
Until the Aug. 31 opener, the identity of the Cowboys' starting quarterback will be left to educated guesses. With Chelf being the starter coming off last season, common sense would indicate he will again get the nod.
The Enid native has earned the respect of teammates and coaches after last season's improbable ascent from third string to first. But before getting his chance, Chelf was ready to quit the team, which Gundy recently acknowledged to the media.
"I think the players talked him into staying," Gundy said. "I haven't had a direct conversation with him about it. I was just glad he came back. I think his teammates wanted him back and I think they brought him back."
With the quarterbacks off-limits to the media since before the spring finale and until after the first game, Chelf is unable to tell his side of the story.
But for whatever reason, he chose to stay and compete at the school he always dreamed of attending. He was committed to Tulsa until offered a scholarship by OSU, where his father was a walk-on QB and his older brother was a walk-on receiver.
"I just don't think most people realize how good Clint can be," his father, Randy Chelf, said before Chelf signed with the Cowboys in 2009.
It took 3 1/2 years for most people to realize Chelf's potential. When Lunt and Walsh were sidelined with injuries, Chelf took advantage of his opportunity. With a valiant second-half effort in a loss to Kansas State, he began to win coaches over.
Two days before his first career start - a 55-34 victory against West Virginia the following week - a fictional open letter from Chelf to Cowboy faithful appeared on an OSU fan site and referenced the coming "Clint Chelf freight train."
The "Choo Choo" movement immediately took off, and soon players were tweeting about it.
Everyone was on board, including Gundy: "Whatever train he is driving, I'm getting on it."
Chelf started the remaining five games of the season, including four when Walsh was again healthy. Since being named MVP of the Heart of Dallas Bowl and selected OSU's male student-athlete of the year, Chelf's status as starter has seemed firm.
"Clint Chelf is our starter; he takes all the reps with the (first string) right now," Gundy said in April, before Lunt decided to transfer. "The other guys compete out there, but I don't necessarily feel like there's a battle out there to start in the first game. I think with the way that he performed and the way J.W. Walsh performed in certain situations, it's their job to lose with whatever situation it is on the field.
"Wes Lunt continues to get better, and Daxx Garman gets reps for us. We're in an unusual situation and I'm not sure we have all the answers or the right way to handle it, but we do get a lot of reps in practice and they're getting quality work."
Perhaps to encourage competition or to keep opponents guessing, Gundy backed off naming Chelf the starter for the fall. But Lunt's decision to transfer in May seemed to clear the way for Chelf to be the No. 1 guy and Walsh to be used at certain times.
"We've got two young men that we feel very comfortable with, and they've worked and they're extremely dedicated to our program," Gundy said last month. "They're great team players. They'll get equal reps (in practice)."
As the media guide states, "Both (quarterbacks) figure to see substantial action in the fall." With the way Walsh played last year, he's too valuable not to be on the field at least occasionally.
In his three starts before going down with a knee injury and when he came off the bench in the final four games, Walsh proved he can throw better than many thought. His 170.1 passing efficiency led the Big 12, was fourth nationally and was the fourth-best by a freshman in NCAA history.
Walsh joined Chelf and Lunt in the 1,000-yard passing club, the first time a Big 12 team has had three 1,000-yard passers in one season.
After the wild ride that was the 2012 season, it's difficult to predict what will transpire this fall.
"Like you saw last year, you never know what's going to happen and all three of us have to be ready to hit the field," Walsh said in the spring. "I think right now, we're just making sure we're taking care of the team and everyone's ready as part of the team."
A look at OSU's three quarterbacks last season
Clint Chelf
Year: Senior
Games played in 2012: Eight
Games started in 2012: Five
Record as starter: 3-2
2012 stats: Completed 119 of 197 attempts for 1,588 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions; rushed 31 times for 205 yards
J.W. Walsh
Year: Sophomore
Games played in 2012: 10
Games started in 2012: 3
Record as starter: 2-1
2012 stats: Completed 109 of 163 attempts for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions; rushed 50 times for 320 yards and seven touchdowns
Wes Lunt
Year: Sitting out a year at Illinois; will be redshirt sophomore in 2014
Games played in 2012: Six
Games started in 2012: Five
Record as starter: 3-2
2012 stats: Completed 81 of 131 attempts for 1,108 yards and six touchdowns with seven interceptions
Kelly Hines 918-581-8452
kelly.hines@tulsaworld.com
