Oklahoma State sophomore quarterback Wes Lunt will transfer, the Cowboys announced Thursday.

Lunt started five games for Oklahoma State last season after enrolling early and winning the starting job as a true freshman in spring practice last year, ahead of Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh.

Injuries to Lunt's leg and head sidelined him for parts of 2012, when he threw for 1,108 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions, and Chelf closed the season as Oklahoma State's starter. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, however, closed this spring without announcing a starting quarterback and said he wouldn't have any further updates until after the team's season opener on Aug. 31, against Mississippi State in Houston.

"This was not a decision I took lightly, but it is a decision that I felt was right for me," Lunt said in a release. "I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the entire Oklahoma State University community. Specifically, I would like to thank the coaches, players, and the whole OSU football family. I wish the Cowboys the best of luck in the future."

Gundy's claim came just more than a week after he said Chelf would start against the Bulldogs. Lunt's exit likely leaves Chelf to retain Oklahoma State's starting quarterback job, but J.W. Walsh found a home in the offense last season running a short-yardage package and started ahead of Chelf when Lunt suffered a leg injury in Oklahoma State's third game against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Lunt, a native of Rochester, Ill., hasn't announced his new destination. Former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken, also an Illinois native, recruited Lunt and brought him to Stillwater before leaving to become the head coach at Southern Miss following the 2012 season.

"We appreciate Wes and we thank him for everything he has done," Gundy said in a release. "He's leaving on good terms and is making this decision based on what he thinks is best for his future."