Gunnar Watson
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Gunnar Watson
| currentteam =
| number =
| position = Quarterback
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|1|11}}
| birth_place = Butler, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 210
| highlights =
| high_school = Taylor County
(Butler, Georgia)
| college = Troy (2018–2023)
| undraftedyear = 2024
| pastteams =
- Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2024}})*
| status =
}}
Milton Gunnar Watson (born January 11, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football for the Troy Trojans.
Early life and high school
Watson grew up in Butler, Georgia and attended Taylor County High School where he lettered in football and baseball.{{cite web|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2020/09/24/gunnar-watson-facts-troy-university-football-quarterback-stats/3511059001/|title=Gunnar Watson: 5 things to know about the Troy University football quarterback|website=Montgomery Advertiser|first=Erik|last=Hall|date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://troytrojans.com/sports/football/roster/gunnar-watson/10372|title=Gunnar Watson|website=Troy Trojans}} He was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at Troy over offers from Austin Peay, Mercer and South Alabama.{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/player/gunnar-watson-85338/high-school-148077/|title=Gunnar Watson, Taylor County, Pro-Style Quarterback|website=247sports.com|access-date=September 25, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://n.rivals.com/content/athletes/gunnar-watson-20114?view=pv|title=Gunnar Watson, 2018 Pro Style Quarterback, Troy|website=Rivals.com|access-date=September 25, 2023}}
College career
During Watson's true freshman season in 2018, he played in two games as a reserve quarterback and finished the season completing 8 out of 14 passing attempts for 45 yards.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1/gamelog/2018/|title=Gunnar Watson 2018 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=September 25, 2023}} During the 2019 season, he played as the backup quarterback playing in six games and finishing the year with completing 13 out of 22 passing attempts for 89 yards.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1/gamelog/2019/|title=Gunnar Watson 2019 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=September 25, 2023}} During the 2020 season, Watson was named as the starting quarterback.{{cite web|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2020/08/22/troy-names-gunnar-watson-starting-quarterback/3421824001/|title=Troy names Gunnar Watson starting quarterback|website=Montgomery Advertiser|date=August 22, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}} He started in nine games during the season and finished the season with completing 211 out of 307 passing attempts for 2,141 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1/gamelog/2020/|title=Gunnar Watson 2020 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=September 25, 2023}} During the game against Texas State, he made 33 completions which had him named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week{{cite web|url=https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/eight-quarterbacks-named-manning-award-stars-of-the-week-10-12-2020.aspx|title=Eight Quarterbacks Named Manning Award Stars of the Week 10/12/2020|website=Allstate Sugar Bowl|date=October 12, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}} and the Davey O'Brien Great 8 List.{{cite web|url=https://troytrojans.com/news/2020/10/12/football-gunnar-watson-named-sun-belt-offensive-player-of-the-week|title=Gunnar Watson Named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week & Davey O'Brien Great 8|website=Troy Trojans|date=October 12, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2023}} During the 2021 season, he played in eight games and finished the season with completing 140 out of 228 passing attempts for 1,613 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1/gamelog/2021/|title=Gunnar Watson 2021 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=September 25, 2023}} During the 2022 season, he played in 13 games and finished the season with completing 206 out of 335 passing attempts for 2,818 yards and 14 touchdowns.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1/gamelog/2022/|title=Gunnar Watson 2022 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=September 25, 2023}} He was named the MVP of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game after completing 12 out of 17 passing attempts for 318 yards and three touchdowns.{{cite web|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2022/12/troy-dominates-coastal-carolina-early-win-sun-belt-championship-45-26.html|title=Troy dominates Coastal Carolina early, holds on to win Sun Belt championship, 45-26|website=AL.com|date=December 3, 2022|access-date=September 25, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wsfa.com/2022/12/04/watson-troy-win-sun-belt-title-over-coastal-carolina-45-26/|title=Watson, Troy win Sun Belt title over Coastal Carolina, 45-26|website=WSFA|date=December 3, 2022|access-date=September 25, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.curebowl.com/troy-and-utsa-set-to-play-in-the-2022-duluth-trading-cure-bowl/|title=No. 24 Troy and No. 25 UTSA Set to Play in the 2022 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl|website=Cure Bowl|date=December 4, 2022|access-date=September 25, 2023}}
=College statistics=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Season
! colspan="3"| Games ! colspan="8"| Passing ! colspan="5"| Rushing | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Troy Trojans|color=white}}"| Troy Trojans | |||||||||||||||
| 2018
| 2 || 0 || — || 8 || 12 || 66.7 || 45 || 3.8 || 0 || 0 || 98.2 || 4 || -18 || -4.5 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2019
| 6 || 0 || — || 13 || 22 || 59.1 || 89 || 4.0 || 0 || 0 || 93.1 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2020
| 9 || 9 || 4−5 || 211 || 301 || 70.1 || 2,141 || 7.1 || 16 || 7 || 142.7 || 30 || -66 || -2.2 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2021
| 8 || 7 || 3−4 || 140 || 228 || 61.4 || 1,613 || 7.1 || 8 || 4 || 128.9 || 27 || -64 || -2.4 || 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 2022
| 13 || 12 || 10−2 || 206 || 335 || 61.5 || 2,818 || 8.4 || 14 || 12 || 138.8 || 61 || -173 || -2.8 || 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 2023
| 14 || 14 || 11−3 || 268 || 439 || 61.0 || 3,569 || 8.1 || 27 || 6 || 146.9 || 51 || -106 || -2.1 || 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Career{{Cite web |title=Gunnar Watson College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gunnar-watson-1.html |access-date=October 3, 2023 |website=Sports-Reference.com}} | 52 | 42 | 28−14 | 846 | 1,337 | 63.3 | 10,275 | 7.7 | 65 | 29 | 139.5 | 173 | -427 | -2.5 | 4 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://troytrojans.com/sports/football/roster/gunnar-watson/10372 Troy Trojans bio]
{{Troy Trojans quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Gunnar}}
Category:Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:People from Butler, Georgia
Category:American football quarterbacks