The Quarterback You Know the Least About: Zane Flores

STILLWATER – You’ll have to pardon Oklahoma State football fans if they have some uneasy moments, maybe some diarrhea or the feeling that they need to throw up, when someone mentions a four-man quarterback competition this spring. The memories of starting the season with a three-man quarterback rotation is still too fresh. It wasn’t pretty as it included a loss to South Alabama and underwhelming performances in the wins over Central Arkansas and at Arizona State, before the Sun Devils got better. 

Yes, Hauss Hejny is fast, and he is from TCU where new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham came from. Garret Rangel has the most experience and is determined. Cowboy fans saw redshirt freshman Maealiuaki Smith start two games at the end of last season as a true freshman. Then there is the tall, athletic and somewhat Trevor Lawrence look-a-like Zane Flores. He has yet to play a single play in a game. 

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Flores speaks with the media on Tuesday.

“Just kind of controlling what I can control,” Flores said to the media on opening day of spring practice. “Being out here every day with a negative attitude and thinking, ‘Oh, this is what should be happening,’ that’s not going to help me. So I’m just trying to come out every day, get better, be my best, hang out with the guys.”

That may sound nonchalant, but Flore is anything but. The 6-3, 203 pounder led Gretna High School to two straight state championship games in Nebraska’s largest class. He was recruited heavily by Nebraska. They were still trying to get him to Lincoln when he was loading his vehicle for Stillwater. Oregon State, Kansas, Kansas State, Pittsburgh, and Washington were in on him as well. He holds the Nebraska high school records for yards (over 9,000) and touchdown passes (82). He also rushed for 29. He was 30-4 as a starting quarterback. 

In Thursday’s second day of spring football during team Flores threw at least two touchdown passes, one to new running back Kaleb Hicks, a transfer from Oklahoma that catches the ball well out of the backfield. He also connected on a scoring toss with Shamar Rigby. He did well as at the end of practice head coach Mike Gundy had him call up the team.

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Flores (6) has been around quarterback competition since he arrived at OSU.

Last season, about the time Gundy and then offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn decided to switch quarterbacks, Flores was out of the running with a surgery on his left foot.

“So I had a broken in my foot, and there’s also a bone fusion that wasn’t supposed to be there,” Flores explained. “So fixed the broken bone. It kind of happened from a stress fracture over time, and then it fractured, so I needed to get that fixed. And then they kind of separated the other two bones, so kind of a weird thing.

“The two bones were fused together on one side, it puts stress on the other side, and that’s what caused it to fracture,” Flores continued explaining. “Yeah, weird thing, but it’s all good now.”

Meaning Flores plays without the pain that he was fighting through in practice in spring and fall of 2024. 

When asked about what he can do to win the job in this four player competition, Flores was low key.

“Obviously, all four of us are competing,” he said. “All four of us have our own kind of assets. We’re going to come out here every day and compete together.”

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Can Flores be the guy that dominated in the high school ranks in Nebraska?

Flores is cool in person, but I believe there is a really competitive player burning inside. I believe even without any experience that Flores could win this job. That remains to be seen, but if that fire inside is still there from Gretna days, then Oklahoma State had better allow him every opportunity to show it. 

Mike Gundy said he wants a leader, one of the four quarterbacks to take control. Flores has been that guy; the question is after all he has been through is that pilot light still on and can he be that guy.