Former Oregon State QB Ben Gulbranson Named Stanford Starter

When a student-athlete transfers schools, college football fans often go through the five stages of grief. There's anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, all because of one young adult's difficult decision.

Ben Gulbranson's departure from campus in January and formal transfer in late April drew a different reaction: pride.

Now, Beaver fans have another reason to be proud of the Oregon State alum. First reported by The Athletic's Stewart Mandel and confirmed by multiple outlets, the Oregon State transfer will start for Stanford in their season opener 10 days from now at Hawaii.

Gulbranson started 12 games, and appeared in 18 games overall, from 2020-24. He completed 62% of his pass attempts, threw for 2648 passing yards, and earned 15 touchdowns.

Affectionately known as "Dr. Ben", Gulbranson earned a bachelors degree in public health from Oregon State, and then finished a masters degree after Oregon State's 2024 Fall term. It was previously reported that Gulbranson sought to enroll in a medical school after his football playing career, so his transfer to Stanford - with one of the world's top medical schools -was as easy as a game winning touchdown pass.