Oklahoma State Cowboys QB Receives Medical Waiver for 2024 Season

Zane Flores is granted an extra year of eligibility, receiving a medical waiver for last season.

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 quarterback Zane Flores has officially received medical hardship for the 2024 season, making the Cowboys' 2025-26 season his third year as a redshirt freshman, according to Pistols Firing.

Flores, who is a former 2023 three-star recruit, didn’t play his first year on campus in 2023 and then unfortunately suffered a foot injury, sidelining him for the 2024 season. 

While it was unlikely that Flores started last season, as Alan Bowman had returned for his seventh season of college football, there is a chance Flores can win the starting quarterback job heading into this season. 

Dec 21, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores (6) practices at the University of Houston indoor Facility. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Cowboys' offense is under a new coordinator with Doug Meacham taking the helm, and Flores has been vocal about his appreciation for his new coach, saying, “He loves to throw the ball around…He gives us a lot of freedom out there.” 

The 6-foot-3 quarterback now has four years of eligibility remaining, but will have to battle for this season's starting spot as the Cowboys' signal caller.

Freshman quarterback Banks Bowen and Hauss Hejny, who transferred from TCU, both also have four years of eligibility remaining, and like Flores, they are hopeful to start this season for Oklahoma State. 

Sep 2, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State's Zane Flores (6) warms up before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and Central Arkansas at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan J. Fish-Imagn Images | Nathan J. Fish-Imagn Images

As of right now, Flores seems to be the favorite among the three quarterbacks, but time will tell if he can lock down the starting quarterback job for Oklahoma State. 

What is for certain is that Flores will now have four years of college football ahead of him thanks to this newly obtained medical waiver.