Cyclones Transfer Competing for Starting Quarterback Job

“Whichever guy gives us the best chance to win, that’s the guy that’s going to play. And we made that very clear to Zane in this process that he’s got a clean slate; he’s got a clean opportunity,” quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

2025 was the first time Flores got into game action collegiately, which puts him well behind Raynor in terms of experience. He has played nine total games, while Raynor has played in at least 11 games in three straight seasons.

Playing for Oklahoma State was a brutal situation for Flores last year. Head coach Mike Gundy was fired during the season, creating a tough atmosphere for anyone to succeed in.

He completed 59.8% of his passes for 1,490 yards and three touchdowns with seven interceptions. 117 rushing yards and two more scores were added to his season stat line.

Zane Flores impressing Iowa State coach

Despite the underwhelming production, Flores is making a great first impression with Iowa State. He has impressed Heckendorf with his habits on and off the field.

“Zane’s a guy that’s got a lot of confidence in himself. Got a lot of confidence in his ability and wasn’t afraid of that challenge and embraced it. And to this point, I’ve been super impressed with him of how he’s attacked, not just the workouts and the weight room and the conditioning aspect of things. But how he’s attacked the playbook and learning and picking up the nuances of what we’re asking him to do from a quarterback perspective.”

While a long shot to be the starter in 2026, Flores is certainly going to compete for the job. It will be difficult to overtake a player as talented as Raynor, who worked under Heckendorf at Arkansas State, where he was the offensive coordinator.

However, he will be given every opportunity to earn that job. This is a clean slate with the Cycloens for a lot of coaches and players, and virtually every role will be up for grabs in the lineup.