Oklahoma State Adds a Quarterback in Veteran FCS Standout Noah Walters
STILLWATER – The quarterback room now has more experienced depth as Oklahoma State has added veteran FCS North Alabama quarterback, Noah Walters. Actually, Walters has been around now for almost two weeks. The 6-0, 190 pound, redshirt junior from Lincoln, Neb. was just added to the roster officially on Sept. 17.
With the injury to Hauss Hejny in the Cowboys’ season opener and the absolute youth of the quarterback room with freshmen Banks Bowen and Mason Schubert being the only back-ups behind Zane Flores, there was an urgency to find a more experienced option.
Slot receiver Sam Jackson V has eight starts as a Division I quarterback at Cal before he transferred to Auburn and moved to slot receiver. He was an emergency option had he been needed at Oregon. The Cowboys only traveled and suited up Flores and Bowen at Oregon.
Todd Bradford and his recruiting staff were given the assignment of trying to find something. Two of the recruiting coaches, Zach Allen and Colby Ellis, found a solid answer in Walters.
The 6-0, 200 pound Walters sat out last season after a really good start to his career at North Alabama. His last season at North Alabama in 2023, he started all 11 games at quarterback. Walters completed 224 of 382 passes for 2,346 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He averaged 213.2 passing yards per game and completed 58.6 percent of passes for a 3-8 team. Walters had a 121.5 quarterback rating.
He tied the all-time school record for passing touchdowns in a game with five against Austin Peay, while becoming the only UNA quarterback in history to throw five touchdowns in a road game. He also rushed 104 times for 387 yards and two scores on the season. He caught a pass, on a trick play for the winning touchdown against Tennessee Tech.
In his freshman season in 2022, he completed 130 of 239 passes for 1799 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions averaging 13.8 yards per pass. The team struggled going 1-10, but Walters was named Phil Steele ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year.
Walters was at the Oklahoma State practice on Tuesday, Sept. 2 with the hope he would be enrolled and ready to begin practicing on Wednesday. It took a little time, but Walters has been in classes since Sept. 4 and really began practicing full with the team on Monday, Sept. 8. He has two-years of eligiblity and he is a business major.
“This is a blessing, really a blessing,” Walters told Pokes Report. “To have this opportunity to come back and play football after sitting out this past season (2024) it is a blessing from God.”
While meeting coaches and listening into the huddle to start learning the offensive language back on Sept. 2, Walters met up with an old high school rival.
As the old radio classic Paul Harvey would say, here is the rest of the story. Walters grew up in Lincoln, Neb. and played high school at Lincoln East where he quarterbacked the Spartans to the Class 4A playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He was two-time Super State, Mr. Football, two-time all-state, two-time all-city honorary captain, and Husker Land Football Player of the Year. Walters broke records for most passing yards in a year, passing yards per game, and completions in a game.
His last high school game was in the 2021 playoffs where East lost to Gretna 59-42. Walters threw for five touchdowns and ran for the other Lincoln East score in the game.
Flores was 21 of 28 for 231 yards with two touchdowns and ran for two scores.
Gretna head coach Michael Kayl told the Omaha World Herald he felt he had just seen one of the best games for quarterback highlights ever.
“I don't know that I've ever coached in a game with two quarterbacks just slinging it like both of those two were tonight," Kayl said. “Fortunately, we were able to make a few more plays but hats off to these guys because that's a great team over there.”
“When I got the call and knew Zane was here, there is no other quarterback I’d rather be with in the quarterback room than him,” Walters expressed. “Zane is such a good guy and competing against him in high school was so much fun.”
Now, you know the rest of the story. Noah Walters is an Oklahoma State Cowboy quarterback.
