Oklahoma State QB Transfer Heading to Big 12 Rival
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Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback from last season is heading to a conference rival.
On Friday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that OSU transfer Zane Flores is committed to Iowa State. The former Cowboy started all but one of OSU’s games when healthy this season and was the Pokes’ main option under center for most of the year.
After Hauss Hejny’s season-ending injury in the first quarter of the season, Flores stepped into the QB1 role and never relinquished it, but he had his fair share of ups and downs. He finished his lone season on the field for the Pokes with 1,490 passing yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While his stats don’t look all that impressive for a third-year freshman, Flores improved throughout the season and has shown some flashes of being able to compete at the Big 12 level moving forward. With his move to Iowa State, there will naturally be some opportunities for Flores to get some revenge on his former team.
With how the Big 12 schedule is laid out over the next couple of years, the Cowboys will have a chance to face their former quarterback at least once. In 2026, OSU will be heading to Ames for a matchup with the Cyclones, then the two teams will meet in Stillwater in 2027.
Of course, that 2026 matchup should feature Flores against his former team if he’s able to win the starting gig. While the 2027 matchup is certainly on the table, this world of college football could be ready is everchanging, and the chaos of the transfer portal could easily mean Flores is somewhere else by the next time Iowa State is in Boone Pickens Stadium.
Overall, this move by Flores could end up being quite an interesting one for the Pokes in the long term. While Drew Mestemaker’s arrival and Eric Morris’ hiring made it clear that no OSU quarterback from 2025 would likely play much of a role next season, Flores’ entry into the transfer portal was easy to see coming already.
After struggling to stay healthy and get on the field in his first two seasons, an injury-riddled and underwhelming third year for Flores made a change of scenery more than understandable. While it won’t be easy for Flores to step into a new situation in Ames and immediately find success, he certainly has the tools to find some success under the right circumstances.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.