Ole Miss' quarterback room, quite a lonely place just days ago, is suddenly crowded.
A day after landing LSU transfer portal quarterback Walker Howard, Ole Miss has added more than a little intrigue to the spring by adding Oklahoma State transfer portal quarterback Spencer Sanders.
Sanders' intention to transfer to Ole Miss took off on on social media Thursday.
Sanders was a multiyear starter for the Cowboys and has one year of eligibility remaining. He's played 3,039 career snaps for the Cowboys.
Sanders played in 10 games during the 2022 season and finished with 2,642 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions with eight rushing touchdowns in a seven-win season. By the end of the season, there were rumblings regarding his future. He gave life to those rumors when he announced his intentions to leave Stillwater last month.
"I appreciate all that Cowboy fans and the Oklahoma State family have given to my family and me in these memory-filled five years. The relationships, education and endless support are something that will stay with me forever," Sanders wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
Sanders was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 after throwing for 2,839 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with 668 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
As a sophomore in 2020, Sanders threw for 2,007 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions with two rushing touchdowns. An injury early in the season kept him out of two games, but he started 11 of Oklahoma State's games that season, including the matchup against Texas in which he threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns.
Sanders was the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year in 2019 and a second-team All-Big 12 player. He set an Oklahoma State freshman record throwing for 2,065 yards that season despite missing the final two games with an injury.
Sanders was 30-11 as a starter, the most wins for an OSU quarterback aside from Mason Rudolph. He accounted for 85 touchdowns, threw for 9,553 yards and rushed for another 1,956.
Sanders also was the Fiesta Bowl MVP in 2021 and the Cheez-It Bowl MVP in 2020. He ranks among the top five in program history in total offense, passing yards and completion percentage.
“I think he is underappreciated for what he’s done,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told the Tulsa World in October. “The reason why is he’s gone through different times in his career. At one time, we were out of offensive linemen — no fun for a quarterback. Last year, we didn’t have any receivers left. He was out there playing with freshmen.
“He just keeps playing and he just keeps finding ways to win games. He has a competitive nature and now he’s developed a calmness and a humbleness about him that’s hard to replace. He’ll be hard to replace.”
"Spencer is a very hot and cold type of player," OStateIllustrated.com publisher Jeff Johnson said. "When he's on, he can be really good. When he's not, turnovers are a problem.His dual threat abilities are legitimate, but also a potential source of problems -- namely, injuries"
