Breaking: NCAA reverses course, grants Gubrud sixth year of eligibility

It looks like Gage Gubrud will be involved in the competition for the Washington State starting quarterback job after all.

In a stunning development considering the NCAA's tortured history of rulings on these type of cases, the organization governing major college athletics has reversed its decision issued just four days ago and, acting on an expedited appeal, has granted the former Eastern Washington quarterback's request for a sixth year of eligibility, the school announced Saturday.

"We are excited for Gage to come in and compete with the quarterbacks on our team," MIke Leach said in a statement released by the school. "He is an extremely experienced and productive player who led Eastern Washington to great heights in his time there. It’s not often that you can add a quarterback to your roster that has started 28 games and thrown for nearly 10,000 yards. We are looking forward to getting him on campus and finishing his collegiate career in a WSU Cougar uniform."

The decision means Gubrud is now eligible to enroll at Washington State in the spring and begin competing with Trey Tinsley, Anthony Gordon, Cammon Cooper and Gunner Cruz to call signals for the Air Raid offense in 2019 and become the successor to highly decorated Gardner Minshew.

In 2-1/2 seasons as EWU's starting quarterback, Gubrud passed for 9,984 yards and 87 touchdowns and rushed for 1,042 yards and 13 scores. In 2016 Gubrud set FCS single-season passing records (5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns) and led the Eagles to the FCS semifinals. He was twice a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS' equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Gubrud's request for a sixth year of eligibility was based on the fact his season-ending toe injury was incurred during EWU’s Sept. 29 game at Montana State, which forced him to miss the Eagles’ final 10 games of the 2018 season. Without Gubrud, EWU reached the FCS national championship game, playing a total of 15 games.

Pursuant to NCAA rules, a player may qualify for a redshirt if he appears in one-third or fewer of his team’s games. Because EWU played the maximum number of games (15), Gubrud appeared in exactly one-third of the Eagles’ games.

Gubrud redshirted in 2014 and appeared in three games in 2015 before becoming EWU's full-time starter in 2016.