Oklahoma State Solves QB Depth with Banks Bowen Out of the Portal
STILLWATER – There was a little panic when the Oklahoma State quarterback room shrunk to just two quarterbacks with Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny, but that duo has a third member of the club now as Banks Bowen has transferred to Oklahoma State coming from Tulsa in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Bowen actually went in the portal a matter of hours after veteran quarterback Garret Rangel went in from Oklahoma State leaving OSU with just Flores and Hejny.
Flores and Hejny had the strongest spring practice and were atop the depth chart causing Maealiuaki Smith to go in the portal followed by Rangel.
Bowen, who was a freshman last season at Tulsa, is the son of new Cowboys offensive assistant Clint Bowen. Banks was coached by his father at Lawrence (Kansas) High School during a stellar prep career. Banks moving to Stillwater brings the Bowen family all back together at the same school in the same town. Banks is a coach’s kid that grew up watching his dad, a former Kansas linebacker, coaching at Kansas (assistant coach, defensive coordinator, and at one time acting head coach), Minnesota (assistant coach and defensive coordinator), North Texas (defensive coordinator), and then was coached by his dad at Lawrence High School.
Banks had quite the prep career as a three-year letterman starting at safety as a sophomore with 45 tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defended. He was the starting quarterback as a junior and senior at Lawrence and finished with 4,144-yards and 36 touchdowns passing and 2,109-yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.
His senior season he completed 172-of-277 passes for 2,368-yards and 23 touchdowns. That is a completion percentage of 62 percent. He also ran for 861-yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 7.4-yards per carry.
Lawrence finished 7-3 that season and split their two playoff games beating Dodge City 23-20 before being eliminated by powerhouse Derby 48-6. Bowen received all kinds of honors including All-State mention.
Bowen will be a good third quarterback to develop and learn with the Oklahoma State staff.
