Football recruiting: Chazten Gonzales follows his heart, walks on at Oklahoma State

“Now he's happy. This is where he wanted to be,” Frankie said. “This is where his heart was from the beginning.”

Chazten will take part in spring practice as one of several quarterbacks on the roster, along with Clint Chelf, Wes Lunt, J.W. Walsh and Daxx Garman. Other walk-ons, Jase Chilcoat, Quinn Shanbour and Cody Peterson, are likely to be involved as well.

With his size and speed — Chazten says he's been timed at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash — he's willing to consider other positions as well. But for now, he wants to be a quarterback.

“I've been working hard, busting my butt to be ready,” he said. “I told them that quarterback is what I want to play. I feel like I can fit in the system, but if it doesn't work out, I'm willing to move to receiver or something. But my focus is quarterback.”

He has spent day after day the last two years working out and throwing passes at Del City's stadium or at a nearby elementary school, hoping to be prepared for his opportunity to play again.

Because this is about realizing a dream, not just for himself but for his brother as well.

“My family was raised around football. That's what me and my brother did together growing up. I know my brother would want me to do the thing that I love, and that's play football,” Chazten said.

“I feel like I can get that connection back with him by playing football. He'll be with me, and it's something we'll be doing together.”