Troy University Athletics
2021 Football Roster
Roster
Watson, Gunnar
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Jersey Number 18
Gunnar Watson
- Position:
- QB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-3 / 214
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Butler, Ga.
- High School:
- Taylor County HS
Bio
2023 All-Sun Belt Third Team
2023 (Senior): Named to the All-Sun Belt Third Team … Finished his career as Troy’s third-leading passer with 10,275 career passing yards … He ranks fourth in career TD passes (65) and third with 846 career completions … Threw for 3,569 yards and 27 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 2023 … His passing yardage was tied for the fourth most in a season in program history, while his 27 touchdown passes were tied for the fifth most … Finished his career with 11 games of three or more touchdowns, tied for the most in Troy’s DI history, his five in 2023 were one shy of Troy’s single-season DI record … Part of just the third 3,000-yard, 1,000-yard passing/rushing duo in school history … Ranked as the 14th best QB in the country per PFF and second-best at the Group of Five level … As a passer, ranked 12th overall … In league play, threw 19 touchdown passes and just three interceptions (one of which was a Hail Mary at the end of a half) … Finished season with just two interceptions over his final 264 pass attempts, one of which was a Hail Mary … Threw four touchdown passes in victories over Stephen F. Austin and ULM … String of five straight games with multiple TD passes, including four straight games with 3-plus TDs (13 TDs/four games) … Passed for 392 yards in victory at Texas State, the 14th most yards in a game in program history
2022 (Junior): Named the MVP of the Sun Belt Championship Game after completing 12-of-17 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in Troy's 45-26 victory over Coastal Carolina … Completed 206-of-335 passes for 2,818 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year … Led the Sun Belt with nine passes of 50-plus yards, ranked third in 40-yard passes (11) and 30-plus yard passes (21) … Third nationally in 50-yard passes, 25th in 30-plus yard passes and 19th in 40-plus yard passes … Completed 34-of-47 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown in the opener at Ole Miss … Passed for 300-plus yards in four games … Four touchdown passes on 23-of-34 passing against Alabama A&M … Rushed for a pair of touchdowns at App State … Became the seventh player in program history to top the 5,000-yard mark … Came off the bench at South Alabama and completed all four of his pass attempts, including back-to-back passes of 36 yards and 14 yards to open a drive that resulted in a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter
2021 (Sophomore): Took over the starting duties in week six … Completed 140-of-228 passes for eight touchdowns and just four interceptions in seven starts … Averaged 220.6 yards per game in his seven starts, would have ranked fourth in the Sun Belt … Threw for 350 yards on 29-of-55 passing against Louisiana; passing yardage total ranks as the 33rd most in a game in school history and the 55 attempts were the sixth most in a game since at least 2001 … Threw three touchdown passes at Coastal Carolina … Picked up his first career rushing touchdown in the Louisiana contest … Completed 11-of-14 passes (78.6 percent) against South Alabama; in his career against the Jags, has completed 83.3 percent of his attempts (45-of-54) … Receivers had 17 drops on his attempts, would have raised completion percentage to 64.1 percent compared to 61.4
2020 (Sophomore): Started nine games in his first season as Troy’s No. 1 quarterback – missed games at Arkansas State and Georgia Southern after suffering an injury against Georgia State … Led the Sun Belt averaging 237.9 yards per game through the air despite missing three quarters of the Georgia State game … Also led the league with a 70.1 completion percentage, which ranked seventh nationally … Ranked 11th nationally averaging 23.44 completions per game, while his passing yards were the 32nd most in the country … Completed 211-of-307 passes for 2,141 yards and 16 touchdowns with just seven interceptions … Threw four touchdown passes in Troy’s victory over Texas State and had three scoring strikes in the blowout of South Alabama … His 82.9 completion percentage against South Alabama (34-of-41) was the fifth-best in Troy history (min. 15 attempts) and the best when raising the threshold to 35 attempts … His 33 completions against Texas State rank as the 11th most in a game in school history … Named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week and to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 List following the Texas State game … Became the first Troy quarterback to win his first career start since 2010 (Corey Robinson)
2019 (RS-Freshman): Troy’s backup quarterback … Played in six different games … Played the entire second half at Missouri; completed 5-of-9 passes for 58 yards with a long of 25 yards … On the year, completed 13-of-22 passes for 89 yards
2018 (Freshman): Played in a pair of games as a reserve quarterback … Completed 5-of-8 passes for 20 yards against Florida A&M and 3-of-4 passes for 25 yards at Liberty … Redshirted
High School: Named Regional Offensive Player of the Year following his senior year at Taylor County High School … Four-year starter for the Vikings and helped lead Taylor County to a 19-5 record his final two seasons … Earned all-state honorable mention after his junior year … Threw for over 6,700 yards and 65 touchdowns in 43 games for the Vikings … Did not throw an interception during the regular season of his senior year … Selected to Georgia Class A Preseason All-State Team by Recruit Georgia … Ranked as the 23rd best pro-style quarterback nationally by Rivals.com and as a three-star … 247 Sports rated him as the 42nd best pro-style quarterback in the country and as a three-star … Was a two-time all-state and three-time all-region selection in baseball
Personal: Full name is Milton Gunnar Watson … Born Jan. 11, 2000, in Macon, Ga. … Son of Mindy and Jeff Watson … Has one sister, Bree ... Graduated with a degree in business
2023 (Senior): Named to the All-Sun Belt Third Team … Finished his career as Troy’s third-leading passer with 10,275 career passing yards … He ranks fourth in career TD passes (65) and third with 846 career completions … Threw for 3,569 yards and 27 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 2023 … His passing yardage was tied for the fourth most in a season in program history, while his 27 touchdown passes were tied for the fifth most … Finished his career with 11 games of three or more touchdowns, tied for the most in Troy’s DI history, his five in 2023 were one shy of Troy’s single-season DI record … Part of just the third 3,000-yard, 1,000-yard passing/rushing duo in school history … Ranked as the 14th best QB in the country per PFF and second-best at the Group of Five level … As a passer, ranked 12th overall … In league play, threw 19 touchdown passes and just three interceptions (one of which was a Hail Mary at the end of a half) … Finished season with just two interceptions over his final 264 pass attempts, one of which was a Hail Mary … Threw four touchdown passes in victories over Stephen F. Austin and ULM … String of five straight games with multiple TD passes, including four straight games with 3-plus TDs (13 TDs/four games) … Passed for 392 yards in victory at Texas State, the 14th most yards in a game in program history
2022 (Junior): Named the MVP of the Sun Belt Championship Game after completing 12-of-17 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in Troy's 45-26 victory over Coastal Carolina … Completed 206-of-335 passes for 2,818 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year … Led the Sun Belt with nine passes of 50-plus yards, ranked third in 40-yard passes (11) and 30-plus yard passes (21) … Third nationally in 50-yard passes, 25th in 30-plus yard passes and 19th in 40-plus yard passes … Completed 34-of-47 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown in the opener at Ole Miss … Passed for 300-plus yards in four games … Four touchdown passes on 23-of-34 passing against Alabama A&M … Rushed for a pair of touchdowns at App State … Became the seventh player in program history to top the 5,000-yard mark … Came off the bench at South Alabama and completed all four of his pass attempts, including back-to-back passes of 36 yards and 14 yards to open a drive that resulted in a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter
2021 (Sophomore): Took over the starting duties in week six … Completed 140-of-228 passes for eight touchdowns and just four interceptions in seven starts … Averaged 220.6 yards per game in his seven starts, would have ranked fourth in the Sun Belt … Threw for 350 yards on 29-of-55 passing against Louisiana; passing yardage total ranks as the 33rd most in a game in school history and the 55 attempts were the sixth most in a game since at least 2001 … Threw three touchdown passes at Coastal Carolina … Picked up his first career rushing touchdown in the Louisiana contest … Completed 11-of-14 passes (78.6 percent) against South Alabama; in his career against the Jags, has completed 83.3 percent of his attempts (45-of-54) … Receivers had 17 drops on his attempts, would have raised completion percentage to 64.1 percent compared to 61.4
2020 (Sophomore): Started nine games in his first season as Troy’s No. 1 quarterback – missed games at Arkansas State and Georgia Southern after suffering an injury against Georgia State … Led the Sun Belt averaging 237.9 yards per game through the air despite missing three quarters of the Georgia State game … Also led the league with a 70.1 completion percentage, which ranked seventh nationally … Ranked 11th nationally averaging 23.44 completions per game, while his passing yards were the 32nd most in the country … Completed 211-of-307 passes for 2,141 yards and 16 touchdowns with just seven interceptions … Threw four touchdown passes in Troy’s victory over Texas State and had three scoring strikes in the blowout of South Alabama … His 82.9 completion percentage against South Alabama (34-of-41) was the fifth-best in Troy history (min. 15 attempts) and the best when raising the threshold to 35 attempts … His 33 completions against Texas State rank as the 11th most in a game in school history … Named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week and to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 List following the Texas State game … Became the first Troy quarterback to win his first career start since 2010 (Corey Robinson)
2019 (RS-Freshman): Troy’s backup quarterback … Played in six different games … Played the entire second half at Missouri; completed 5-of-9 passes for 58 yards with a long of 25 yards … On the year, completed 13-of-22 passes for 89 yards
2018 (Freshman): Played in a pair of games as a reserve quarterback … Completed 5-of-8 passes for 20 yards against Florida A&M and 3-of-4 passes for 25 yards at Liberty … Redshirted
High School: Named Regional Offensive Player of the Year following his senior year at Taylor County High School … Four-year starter for the Vikings and helped lead Taylor County to a 19-5 record his final two seasons … Earned all-state honorable mention after his junior year … Threw for over 6,700 yards and 65 touchdowns in 43 games for the Vikings … Did not throw an interception during the regular season of his senior year … Selected to Georgia Class A Preseason All-State Team by Recruit Georgia … Ranked as the 23rd best pro-style quarterback nationally by Rivals.com and as a three-star … 247 Sports rated him as the 42nd best pro-style quarterback in the country and as a three-star … Was a two-time all-state and three-time all-region selection in baseball
Personal: Full name is Milton Gunnar Watson … Born Jan. 11, 2000, in Macon, Ga. … Son of Mindy and Jeff Watson … Has one sister, Bree ... Graduated with a degree in business
Behind the Wall - S10, E1
Friday, September 05
PODCAST - Josh Lauer
Thursday, September 04
Football Press Conference (Players) - Clemson Game
Monday, September 01
Gerad Parker Press Conference (Clemson Game)
Monday, September 01
