The Oklahoma State Cowboys hit the field for the first time this weekend, carrying the weight of a brutal 3-9 record from 2024, which included a rough 0-9 Big 12 mark. In Stillwater, head coach Mike Gundy is entering his 21st year with the program and faces a make-or-break season with a retooled roster and staff. As the Cowboys aim to rebound, here are the top two questions heading into day one.
First up: QB1. And if you thought it was going to be an open-and-shut case, think again. Mike Gundy has kept his cards close to the vest this offseason, letting speculation swirl about who will command the huddle in 2025. The Cowboys cycled through three starters last fall and scored a paltry 21.2 points per game—dead weight in a conference bursting with offensive fireworks. So yes, the QB decision is less about “Who looks good in spring?” and more about “Who can save our season?” The coaching staff has reshaped the offense with new faces, including offensive coordinator Doug Meacham calling plays, but everything hinges on who’s under center.
Locked On Oklahoma State’s Cody Stovall offered a layered peek into the ongoing battle: “Obviously, Oklahoma State enters fall camp at somewhat of a standstill to some degree because we don’t know exactly who QB1’s going to be,” he said. “I do buy into the belief that the J.W. Walsh-Clint Chelf dual system could work… Some of it was purposeful, and I think we can find some of that and still order the season.” It’s a nod to the past and a hint toward what could be a rotating situation again, especially early in the season. According to Stovall, the two leading names are redshirt freshman Zane Flores and TCU transfer Hauss Hejny.
Flores might be the most exciting piece in Stillwater’s deck—a confident pocket passer with anticipation and touch, paired with enough arm talent to throw ropes into tight windows. “You have Zane Flores, who’s been chomping at the bit to have his opportunity and likely would have gotten it last year if it [had] not been for that foot-heel injury,” Stovall said. Hejny, on the other hand, is all about movement. The former Southlake Carroll star adds electricity with his legs and a working knowledge of Meacham’s system from his days at TCU. “Some of the things that Doug Meacham is going to be asked of the quarterbacks and of the wide receivers are going to be something that Hauss Hejny understands,” Stovall added.
The reality is, Oklahoma State may not have the luxury of choosing just one. Mike Gundy is no stranger to dual-QB operations, and Stovall hinted at the same playbook: “Regardless of who ends up grabbing the position or if we do the dual quarterback system throughout the entirety of the year, you have to see some developmental aspects to give glimpses of what the Cowboys could look like at the end of the season.” This isn’t just about Saturdays—it’s about the long haul. Developmental reps, scout team structure, and consistent QB room growth will define the offensive identity as the year unfolds.
New Day! New Season!
2025 Training Camp opens July 27 #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/SpYcEHSs6I
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) July 24, 2025
And don’t forget the rest of the depth chart. “Banks Bond and Mason Schubert – both of these individuals have the capability to help us prolong the season and add to the development regardless of who wins that quarterback one battle,” said Stovall. That type of forward-thinking doesn’t just point to depth—it’s an admission that this roster is being built brick by brick. And while Gundy’s public silence may signal uncertainty, it also offers the flexibility to pivot midseason if needed.
“Thankfully, we kept Zane Flores for a reason,” Stovall concluded. “And I feel like Garrett Rangel or Milo K. Smith, both of those individuals, in the eyes of the coaches, were going to give us seven, eight wins potentially. But they do view the potential of Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny as significantly higher than that.”
All of this—every snap, every rep—will determine if 2025 is the year of the Zane Train, or if Hejny’s versatility lifts the ceiling. The Cowboys have been dismissed as a bottom-feeder in the Big 12 this offseason, and that’s just how Gundy likes it. With just a handful of starters back, including true freshman RB Rodney Fields—who may be thrust into action early—OK State is being rebuilt from the studs up.
Mike Gundy’s Achilles’ heel
While the QB1 battle might be the headliner in Stillwater, Oklahoma State’s true Achilles’ heel is still in plain sight—and it’s wearing cleats in the defensive backfield. Last year’s Cowboys were torched through the air like a busted water pipe in a heatwave. OSU finished 126th in scoring defense and 129th in yards per play, surrendering 35.6 points per game in a season where it felt like every opposing QB turned into Patrick Mahomes. It wasn’t just schematic—it was personnel, positioning, and a whole lot of busted coverages. So Mike Gundy did what any coach with a 3-9 stain would do: He blew it up.
Enter Todd Grantham. The veteran DC brings a fiery demeanor and an NFL-tested mindset to a unit badly in need of direction. He inherits a room filled with 41 newcomers—third-most in the Power Four. “I think another individual that doesn’t get talked about enough is definitely going to be LaDainian Fields. LaDainian Fields has 10.5 100-meter speed, which means he has sub-4.0 meter speed,” Stovall explained. “We just need to see it on the field a little bit more. We did see portions of him this previous season, and now he’s rocking a new number nine. It’s going to be exciting to see what LaDainian can do.”
But speed isn’t everything. OK State will also lean on veteran leadership to fix the cracks. “I think whenever you look at the senior leadership of Ken Harris, Raymond Gay II, that’s going to be big for this season,” Stovall continued. “Those are individuals that—one has been here for a long time in Raymond Gay—and one that has been in multiple systems now at multiple universities, that is going to be able to help these transfers understand the lay of the land in Stillwater.” If OSU’s corners and safeties can ditch the hand-fighting habits and start finding the football, this defense might just flip the narrative.
“Because getting beat up in the back end of the defense last year was a big Achilles’ heel and more often than not, some of our DBs had a tendency to get into hand fights as opposed to putting themselves in position to make big plays.” Fix the coverage. Tackle in space. Communicate on motion. The blueprint isn’t rocket science.
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