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FRISCO, Texas – At the podium, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy was asked about his quarterback situation, but the more loosely asked question got a very loose, almost deflected answer. The Cowboys have four quarterbacks, two are true freshmen in Blake Bowen, son of offensive analyst Clint Bowen, and Stillwater product Mason Schubert. The real candidates after the departure of both Garret Rangel and Maealiuaki Smith in the transfer portal are Zane Flores, a third-year player that is now classified as a redshirt freshman and redshirt freshman transfer from TCU Hauss Hejny.
“So we don’t have anybody that has taken a snap and we don’t have anybody that has taken any snaps at OSU in practice,” Gundy said. The other two, Zane we know better than anybody because he has been with us for three years. Zane is healthy now, and he didn’t practice much in a healthy state last year. He struggled all year long. Then with Hauss we at least know him from January.
“The things that I can say about those two guys is one, they are competitors,” Gundy said thinking and evaluating out loud. “Two, they both grind and they are willing to work hard. Three, the team likes them, so those are comforting things in a quarterback. Where we go from that in August is in the first couple of weeks, you’d like to say that this guy will be our quarterback. Now we can build the system around him.”
Gundy talks about how the offensive system accomodates both Hejny and Flores and their skill sets. Hejny is an elite runner, maybe the best Oklahomas State has ever had in a running quarterback. Flores has a rifle arm and can also run. Hejny can also throw.
“We win with running quarterbacks, we win with passing quarterbacks, and we’ve won with dual guys,” confirmed Gundy.
We actually got an opposing scouting report on Hejny from his former teammate in TCU starting quarterback Josh Hoover.
“Hauss is a really, really good player very talented,” Hoover said. “Everyone knows he is super fast and can do a lot with the ball in his hands. Then he can also make the throws that you need to make to be successful in college. I think he is going to do great things at Oklahoma State. I’m happy for him, happy to watch him, and know he is going to get a chance to play.”
Flores can run and throw and proved it in high school. Both Flores and Hejny proved it in spring football as their performance is a major reason that Rangel landed at Virginia Tech and Smith landed at Ole Miss.
Gundy is adament now that it is hard to keep more than two quarterbacks that are actually veteran enough and ready to play. The portal and then need for players to want to play and play now keeps that from happening.
In this situation, you have to be flexible enough to build your system around whoever your guy is. The real challenge is when you find that guy and you are comfortable with him,” Gundy said. “You have to protect him. I have to protect my starter.”
Okay, my scenario, can you see playing two quarterbacks this year?
“I think every option is on the table right now,” Gundy answered. “I think the consensus right now with fans and coaches is we have to find a sound way to discover who our best quarterback is that gives us the best chance to win the most games this year.”
I believe you will need both.
