Oklahoma Lands Quarterback from Western Carolina

With just two scholarship quarterbacks on the current roster and only three scheduled to be in the fold in 2025, new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle offered Gonzales a scholarship last Friday.

Gonzales is a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top overall player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 11.

Gonzales is a two-year starter for the Catamounts with three years of college football experience at the FCS school.

According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot, 195-pound Gonzales has played nearly 1,500 snaps in 27 total games over the last three seasons. In his two seasons as the starter under head coach Kerwin Bell, the Catamounts are 14-9 and reached a spot in the FCS poll for the first time in program history.

Gonzales, who played high school football at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, FL, received offers from Charlotte, UTEP, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma.

He played eight games this year before a season-ending injury. Gonzales — the son of University of Florida assistant coach Billy Gonzales — completed 62 percent of his passes (205-of-332) for 2,543 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a sophomore in 2023, Gonzales completed 66 percent of his passes (204-of-310) for 2,803 yards and led the nation during the regular season with a school record 28 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. During his freshman season in 2022, he got four starts and hit 63 percent (102-of-161) for 1,336 yards with 11 TDs and seven INTs. Gonzales also has compiled 562 yards rushing and three TDs on the ground.

This season, Western Carolina led all of FCS in passing offense at 335.8 yards per game, ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense at 471.2 yards per game, and ranks No. 1 in total first downs with 305.

Gonzales is a two-time first-team All-Southern Conference performer and has thrown five touchdown passes in a game three times.

As a recruit, Gonzales wasn’t rated by Rivals, 247 Sports or On3, and he chose Western Carolina over offers from Samford and Tennessee-Martin. 

One of Gonzales’ former WCU teammates is new Oklahoma offensive line transfer Derek Simmons, who was a two-year starter for the Catamounts at tackle.