‘I Think He’s Ready Now’: Zane Flores Enters Redshirt Freshman Season after Year of Learning

STILLWATER — If the Zane Train hasn’t yet left the station, it’s certainly getting ready to.

A highly regarded quarterback prospect, Zane Flores is set to enter his redshirt freshman season with the Oklahoma State football program. Listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Flores was the No. 481 player in his recruiting class and picked OSU over offers from Kansas State, Washington, Missouri and others.

Flores sat his freshman year, as the Cowboys had a three-man quarterback battle ahead of him. He’ll sit again to start the 2024 season — behind Alan Bowman, who was granted a seventh year of eligibility. But when asked about Flores’ progression throughout his first full offseason as a college player, OSU coach Mike Gundy made a firm statement on his young QB.

“I think he’s ready now, he’s just not experienced,” said Gundy of Flores at Saturday’s OSU media day. “But he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s smart, he’s tough. His attitude’s good. He’s humble. He’s hungry. He hasn’t played. That’s the difference now, compared to this time last year.”

As part of the media day, Flores was also available to reporters for the first time as a Cowboy.

“[My true freshman season] was good,” Flores said. “It was a huge learning step, a huge learning curve from high school, but it was good. It was kind of weird just having to sit back and watch everything, not being able to be out there making an impact, but it was very needed.”

Flores said some of his favorite moments last season were the away games he got to travel to, seeing the different atmospheres.

Flores said he got stronger and faster in his redshirt year, but he added that most of his growth has come mentally. He said when he first got to campus in spring of 2023, he realized he had some work to do to get to where he wanted. Work like learning the playbook, learning defenses and getting used to the speed of the college game. It was a little different from his senior season at Gretna High School in Nebraska, where he threw for 3,117 yards and 31 touchdowns.

“It was kinda tough going from playing all the time [in high school] and then coming here,” Flores said. “It was tough, but just sticking to it. Nothing’s gonna come right away. You gotta work for what you want. Just kinda keeping that in the back of my mind, sticking to the plan, learning the playbook, learning from the guys ahead of me — all the other quarterbacks.”

Although Flores might be the future, the present of the OSU football program is in Bowman’s hands after Bowman led the Pokes to a 10-4 record and an appearance in the Big 12 title game last season. But even that has been a solid benefit for Flores, as he is learning under a quarterback who threw for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns when Flores was only an eighth grader.

“It’s huge to be able to learn from him,” Flores said. “He’s a great guy. Just being able to learn from him on and off the field. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s willing to spread that knowledge, too, so very grateful for that.”