Making the case for Gardner Minshew as the Seahawks QB of the future

The Legend of Minshew Mania

The story of Gardner Minshew is pretty incredible. A former junior college star turned rotational quarterback at Eastern Carolina, Minshew’s collegiate career appeared to be over when he committed to Alabama in 2018, to essentially begin his transition towards a coaching career as a graduate student.

That was until good old Washington State head coach Mike Leach convinced Minshew to come sling that pigskin for one more year at WSU. What happened next was nothing short of incredible.

The 2018 season is one of the most successful in WSU history. Winning the job right before the season started, Minshew would take the college football world by storm. Minshew would shatter school records for passing yards and touchdowns in a season. The Cougars were 10-1 and ranked #7 in the country.

Because of Minshew, Washington State finally got to host ESPN’s College GameDay, when they put a beatdown on Justin Herbert and his #12 ranked Oregon Ducks. The magical season continued until a massive snowstorm and a rare offensive letdown during the Apple Cup cost the Cougs against the Washington Huskies.

The loss cost the Cougs a possible playoff berth or a guaranteed Rose Bowl berth. Despite the Apple Cup disappointment, the Cougs still finished strong, winning the Alamo Bowl over Iowa State, finishing the season 11-2 and good for the tenth-ranked team in the final polls.

The eleventh win was also good for a school record. Not only did Minshew change the level of play in Pullman, but he changed the culture as well. The free-flowing, mullet-growing, jockstrap-wearing gunslinger had won the hearts of college football fans everywhere.