Last year’s disastrous season has flipped the script for Mike Gundy. Once a pillar of stability at Oklahoma State, he’s now fighting to prove his worth. That disastrous 3-9 season didn’t just upset fans—it triggered a complete roster overhaul and tarnished Gundy’s legacy. With the 2025 season approaching, the pressure intensifies. Following Maealiuaki Smith and Garret Rangel’s transfer, Gundy’s quarterback competition is down to two untested redshirt freshmen, leaving him with a crucial decision that could shape his future in Stillwater.

Mike Gundy saw the shake-up coming. Back in spring, he admitted, “Can you keep four quarterbacks that are good enough to compete at this level? It’d be difficult.” Fast forward to spring, and the Cowboys saw two quarterbacks enter the transfer portal, as Coach Gundy predicted, leaving Hauss Hejny and redshirt sophomore Zane Flores to battle for QB1—two players with a combined 18 college snaps and zero pass attempts—to compete for the starting job. So, now Mike Gundy’s breakout season depends on two unproven QBs.

Both Hejny and Flores bring two very different flavors to the table. Hejny excels in chaos, improvising with his scrambling ability and instinctive runs. Flores, a more traditional pocket passer, delivers precise, quick throws. And Go Pokes247’s McClain Baxley describes both of their capabilities perfectly on the Cover 3 podcast. “They’ve got Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores. Flores, this is going to be his third year in the program. He came in as, you know, a high three-star, low four-star quarterback in the 2024 class. Kind of waited behind Bowman and Gunnar Gundy, and Garret Rangel that first year. Then last year, dealt with a pretty bad foot injury that required surgery,” Baxely pointed out.

Zane Flores begins his third year in Stillwater with a clean slate and a chance to become the starting quarterback. He stepped up last season when Alan Bowman struggled and Garret Rangel broke his collarbone, but a lower leg injury ended his own season before Week 8 against BYU, requiring surgery. The NCAA granted Flores a medical redshirt, giving him four years of eligibility.

Now that Flores is healthy, he’s competing for the starting job. A former four-star recruit and Stillwater fan favorite, many are eager to see what he can do. Recruiting analyst Ari Wasserman called Flores a “gem” in 2023, fueling high expectations. Healthy and talented, Flores has a real shot at the starting role in 2025. But let’s not forget another playmaker is waiting right in the mix.

After a freshman year at TCU with 15 carries for 65 yards, Hauss Hejny transferred to Oklahoma State. Limited playing time aside, his decision was driven by a key connection: new Cowboys offensive coordinator Doug Meacham. Meacham, who previously coached inside receivers at TCU, already had a strong relationship with Hejny. This familiarity gave Hejny a significant advantage as he began his OSU career. “And then you’ve also got Hauss Hejny, a transfer from TCU. He knows Doug Meachum, he knows Kevin Johns, the new quarterbacks coach. So he’s very familiar with what they’re trying to do,” Baxley said.

But then let’s not forget both of their caliber are still unproven, and that might be problematic for Mike Gundy. “So a lot of inexperience. And there’s definitely talent, you know. We saw in, you know, the limited spring, they were able to see in the spring game that there’s definitely talent. They’ve definitely both got speed and definitely are, I think Hauss more so, that dual-threat quarterback, that, you know, Gundy really likes,” Baxley said. For now, Hauss Hejny remains Gundy’s favorite, but he needs to act fast, as there’s already an ultimatum hanging over his head.

Mike Gundy’s playoff hopes are in jeopardy

Last season’s 9 losses are turning into Mike Gundy’s worst nightmare. The Cowboys’ 0-9 Big 12 record—their first winless conference season since 1991—has put Gundy, despite an impressive 18 bowl appearances in 20 seasons and a consistently winning record (making him Oklahoma State’s all-time winningest coach), squarely under the microscope.

Worst part? This season for Mike Gundy’s program, success means just qualifying for a bowl game. That’s what McClain Baxley is trying to point out. “I think you’ve got to get to a bowl game. I mean, like, most fans want to say that they’re going to make the Big 12 championship and compete for a playoff spot. That’s not going to happen this year, I don’t think,” Baxley said. So, if Gundy wants to save his job, he must take his team to the bowls this season. “I think, you know, to save Gundy’s job, to save the trajectory of this program, I think you’ve got to get that six or seven wins under your belt and show that you’re on the right path,” he added.

Despite last season’s collapse, Mike Gundy dug in his heels and made major recruiting moves. With loyal and long-serving Gundy, he revamped the roster with 22 recruits and 40 transfers. He also hired experienced coordinators Doug Meacham and Todd Grantham to bolster the coaching staff.

But even with these bold moves, skeptics are still waiting to be convinced that the Cowboys can return to their best form. You know, you make all these hires, you bring in—you completely renovate the roster. They’ve got, you know, 40-some transfers coming in. So I think you’ve got to kind of prove it by making a bowl game, winning at least six games. Ideally seven, I think, would be the magic number to keep his job security for going into ’26,” Baxley said.

On top of that, his pay cut also marks another major setback for him. His restructured contract reduces his salary by $1 million to $6.75 million, with the savings allocated to future athlete revenue sharing. The new deal includes increased fundraising responsibilities and mentoring a successor. If fired within three years, Gundy receives a $15 million buyout, $10 million in the final year.

But that might not be the case if Mike Gundy’s team makes it to the bowls this season because, for now, a playoff run is off limits for them.