Will Hauss Hejny's Return Come Too Late for Oklahoma State?

Oklahoma State is struggling offensively, but its quarterback situation could be what saves the season.

After last season’s disaster that saw the Cowboys trot out three starting quarterbacks throughout the year, OSU has already used multiple starters two games into 2025. Ideally, that number won’t increase, with Zane Flores being the de facto starter going into the nonconference finale.

Flores’ status as QB1 isn’t necessarily just because of Hauss Hejny’s injury, but through two games, it makes sense that the third-year Cowboy was handed the backup role going into the season opener. Coming in at the end of the first quarter against UT Martin, Flores finished the opener completing 13 of his 20 passes for 136 yards.

With Hejny’s broken foot thrusting him into the starting role at Oregon, Flores had almost no success against a tough Ducks defense. In Eugene, Flores completed only seven of his 19 passes for an underwhelming 67 yards, also throwing two pick-sixes to finish the third quarter.

While there is some hope for Flores to get back on track against Tulsa next week, there’s also a chance that he might just not be good enough to be a consistent starter at the Power Four level. Although the Pokes only got a quarter of Hejny, his drives in one quarter have resulted in only two fewer points than Flores’ seven quarters of action under center.

According to a recent story from Pokes Report, Hejny’s likeliest return date would be on Oct. 18 against Cincinnati in OSU’s Homecoming matchup. If that turns out to be Hejny’s return, that would mean Flores would be under center for the next four games for the Cowboys, including the team’s first three Big 12 contests.

With Hejny potentially set up to come in for OSU’s final six games, it might be reasonable to expect OSU to play .500 football if the offense truly is as good as it seemed with his rushing ability in a quarter of play.

So, if Hejny returns on Oct. 18 with a 3-3 record on the horizon, that would mean Flores needs to lead OSU to wins over Tulsa and at least one Big 12 opponent. It won’t be easy, and OSU might not be favored in any Big 12 game all season, especially without Hejny, but winning one of those matchups is certainly a fair expectation.

However, if Hejny’s return comes any later and Flores can’t show his ability to lead a Big 12 program, this could be a longer fall than expected in Stillwater.