Key Position Could Spoil Oklahoma State's Bounce-Back Hopes

Oklahoma State is looking to have a bounce-back season, but it hinges on an inexperienced position.

OSU has spent the offseason being one of the most active teams in the country in the transfer portal. Add in the team’s coaching overhaul, and the Cowboys will look drastically different than they did last season.

While the Cowboys have added plenty of talent and done just about everything they can to bounce back from their 3-9 campaign last year, they will be entering next season with an unproven quarterback.

In 2024, the Cowboys had a revolving door at quarterback at times. After Alan Bowman started the first six contests, Garret Rangel took over to begin OSU’s game at BYU.

However, Rangel’s unfortunate injury toward the end of the first half in Provo pushed Bowman back into the QB1 role. Maealiuaki Smith took over at quarterback as a true freshman, starting the final two games for the Cowboys and seeing action in each of the final four while still preserving his redshirt.

While the story of the 2024 quarterback situation features three names, none of those players are on the roster going into 2025. Bowman finally ran out of college eligibility, while Rangel transferred to Virginia Tech and Smith took his talents to Ole Miss.

That leaves the Cowboys with only two legitimate options at quarterback going into next season. Zane Flores is returning to Stillwater for his third season with the program, despite never seeing the field throughout his first two years. Meanwhile, TCU transfer Hauss Hejny will be getting his first taste of playing in Stillwater after spending one season with the Horned Frogs, playing alongside OSU offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.

While both players seem like promising young talents, there is no guarantee either of them will pan out in Stillwater. More importantly, there is no guarantee either of them will pan out in Stillwater next season.