Zane Flores, Oklahoma State Looking to Prove Doubters Wrong Next Season

Oklahoma State is set for another season, but it has some questions to answer under center.

The Cowboys will enter next season with some of the lowest expectations they’ve had at any point in the Mike Gundy era. After being considered a College Football Playoff contender in the preseason last year, the Cowboys are projected by many to miss a bowl game going into 2025.

Of course, that pessimism makes some sense, considering the Cowboys won only three games last season and had a massive overhaul of the coaching staff and roster in the offseason. With so many new additions through the transfer portal, there are many questions for the Cowboys next year. Yet, the biggest question comes with one of the most notable returning players.

OSU’s quarterback battle appears to be a two-man race, but early indications seem to point toward Zane Flores earning the starting role over TCU transfer Hauss Hejny. Of course, Flores has never taken a snap in his college career.

After being considered not ready during the three-quarterback fiasco in 2023 and a season-ending injury destroying any hopes of a debut in 2024, Flores will be taking his first collegiate snap in 2025 as a third-year freshman. That is one of the biggest advantages Flores has in this battle.

Not only has he been around the program for two seasons already, but he also has four years of eligibility remaining. Of course, those things are great for the long-term outlook if Flores turns out to be a star, but in 2025, it could still put the Pokes in a tough spot.

In CBS Sports’ latest ranking of Big 12 quarterbacks, Flores came in at No. 16, with OSU viewed as having the worst quarterback situation in the conference. Although OSU would like to see a higher ranking, there is almost no way of predicting how the Cowboys will look with Flores running the offense.

With no quarterback having taken a snap for OSU, the Cowboys will need to find some answers next season to aid their young quarterbacks. It might be tough for OSU to navigate next season, but its quarterbacks should have some extra motivation to show the college football world they belong.