How Much Will QB Battle Actually Matter for Oklahoma State in 2025?

The Cowboys are still deciding on their QB1.

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores (6) warms up before a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State’s biggest storyline heading into training camp is the quarterback battle, but it might not matter much.

Throughout the past several months, OSU has seen some significant changes to the roster, and one of the most significant changes has been its quarterback position. After losing to Colorado in the season finale to cap a three-win campaign, the Cowboys entered the offseason knowing they were at least losing Alan Bowman, who finally ran out of eligibility after seven years of college football.

In the following weeks, OSU added Hauss Hejny out of the transfer portal, giving the Pokes four quarterbacks to work with going into the spring. However, as the spring portal window opened, the Cowboys’ quarterback room began to shrink.

Maealiuaki Smith and Garret Rangel, the only quarterbacks to play a snap for the Cowboys outside of Bowman last season, each found new homes in the portal. With Smith now at Ole Miss and Rangel at Virginia Tech, the Cowboys are left with Hejny and Zane Flores to battle for the top spot in 2025.

Considering both quarterbacks have four years of eligibility left to work with in Stillwater, the winner of this battle could determine the next almost half-decade of passes at OSU. While those stakes are clearly high, that’s simply the big-picture outlook.

Looking at the smaller picture, as in just the 2025 season, the quarterback battle might not mean much. Hejny got some limited reps with TCU last season, but he never threw a pass, leaving the Cowboys without a single collegiate pass thrown among their two candidates.

Although the quarterbacks have different skillsets, the reality is that OSU will be trotting out an inexperienced player under center and hoping for the best. There will be a steep learning curve with either player, and inevitably, there could be some games that are single-handedly won and lost by the quarterback’s successes or failures.

Mike Gundy has overseen plenty of quarterback battles in his time in Stillwater, but this one is a bit unique. The right for the job this season could legitimately vary from week to week, and considering both quarterbacks seem to be around the same skill level, the result of August’s battle might have a minimal impact on the season.

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