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The OSU quarterback derby is down to two, Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores.
Garret Rangel and Maealiuaki Smith have entered the transfer portal, leaving the Cowboys with just two quarterbacks on the roster.
More will be needed — you can’t start a football season with just two quarterbacks — and the additions don’t figure to be difference-makers. The next Nico Iamaleava isn’t walking through the door, and as Mike Gundy said, the Cowboys couldn’t afford him if he did.
The Tuesday ScissorTales identify the Thunder’s best lineups so far in the playoffs, lists the conference selections in the NFL Draft and bring up a big change coming on Christmas Day.
Oklahoma State quarterback Hauss Hejny calls out instructions before a play during the Orange-White Game on April 19.
Mitch Alcala, for the Tulsa World
Most of us believe Hejny will be the ultimate choice, not because of anything we saw in the spring game, but because OSU brought him in via the transfer portal. By his own admission, Hejny got a solid financial package to come to Stillwater.
We keep saying that college football is becoming more and more like the National Football League, and in the NFL, you play the one you pay. At least at the start. That’s the financial model.
And Hejny is a running quarterback. College football — heck, the NFL, too — has changed since Mason Rudolph stood in the OSU pocket and flung the ball all over Boone Pickens Stadium. A running quarterback makes offenses go, and Hejny is a runner deluxe, from all accounts.
We have no idea yet if Hejny can throw the ball into Theta Pond even if his feet are wet, but there’s no doubt about his wheels. The guy can scoot.
Add in that OSU’s new offensive coordinator, Doug Meacham, was at Texas Christian last season with Hejny and in theory wouldn’t have endorsed Hejny without belief he could do the job, and it’s looking like proper pronunciation is in order for OSU fans. It’s Hoss Haney.
Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores looks for a receiver during the Orange-White Game on April 19 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Mitch Alcala photos, for the Tulsa World
But there’s one thing to remember for the Zane Flores campaign. Gundy likes homegrown quarterbacks. Gundy always has liked homegrown quarterbacks.
In 20 seasons as the OSU coach, Gundy has used 19 starting quarterbacks.
Six were the result of injury. Three or four because Gundy had trouble making up his mind. The rest were bonafide starting quarterbacks.
But no matter the situation, Gundy always has tilted to homegrown quarterbacks.
Only four of those 19 were transfers: Al Pena, who came from Georgia Tech and filled in for the injured Donovan Woods in 2005; Daxx Garman, who came from Arizona and took over for the injured J.W. Walsh in 2014; Dru Brown, Hawaii, who subbed for the injured Spencer Sanders in 2019; and Alan Bowman, Michigan, who won an into-September-battle with Rangel and Gunnar Gundy in 2023.
When Brown battled Taylor Cornelius for the 2018 QB job, Gundy chose Corndog. When Bowman, Rangel and Gunnar Gundy staged that confounding three-man derby in 2023, Gundy platooned them through three games, before settling on Bowman, the people’s choice, an option that seemed correct when the 2023 season went well and a massive mistake when 2024 flopped.
Gundy is not a shiny-new-toy coach. He stuck with his staff long after all kinds of critics called for change. He was slow to go all-in on the portal. He gives quarterbacks a long leash, Bowman being the latest case.
The situation seems to point to Hejny. But Gundy’s history points to Flores. Might be in your best interest to learn Flores’ last name, too. Floors.
Don’t count him out.
That lineup was solid. In 49 minutes (a virtual game length) together, that lineup outscored Memphis 119-107. Any team would take that performance.
But the best Thunder lineup in the series was a five-man unit that included only two starters: Williams and Hartenstein, along with Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins, were lethal against the Grizzlies. In 14 minutes together (barely over a quarter), that five-man unit outscored Memphis 47-33.
These NBA Playoffs are noted for lack of depth on some quite-potent teams. The Lakers didn’t substitute in the second half of a 116-113 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. The Nuggets would like to cut the games in half and never take out a starter.
But the Thunder is quite content consistently going to its bench. Mark Daigneault used 10 players in the first quarter of Game 1, and none of them were Wiggins, who started the second quarter. Daigneault routinely used 10 players against the Grizzlies; he used 11 in the 117-115 closeout victory Saturday.
And that lineup of Williams, Hartenstein, Caruso, Wallace and Wiggins — missing starters Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Holmgren — was the most effective against the Grizzlies. That’s a defensive lineup, with Wallace and Caruso, yet in those 14 minutes, the Thunder made 21 of 29 shots and assisted on 14 of the baskets. That’s high-level offense.
The next-best lineup was similar. The same makeup, only exchanging Wiggins for sharpshooter Isaiah Joe. In 14 minutes, that lineup outscored Memphis 32-19.
When you can rest Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Holmgren together and not just hold steady but extend the lead, victory is quite likely. The Thunder has abundant depth. It’s also getting well-rested, with the series sweep. The Thunder is set up for extended playoff success.
Tramel’s ScissorTales: Don’t count out Zane Flores in OSU quarterback derby
- 1 hr ago
Berry Tramel
Sports ColumnistThe OSU quarterback derby is down to two, Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores.
Garret Rangel and Maealiuaki Smith have entered the transfer portal, leaving the Cowboys with just two quarterbacks on the roster.
More will be needed — you can’t start a football season with just two quarterbacks — and the additions don’t figure to be difference-makers. The next Nico Iamaleava isn’t walking through the door, and as Mike Gundy said, the Cowboys couldn’t afford him if he did.
The Tuesday ScissorTales identify the Thunder’s best lineups so far in the playoffs, lists the conference selections in the NFL Draft and bring up a big change coming on Christmas Day.
Oklahoma State quarterback Hauss Hejny calls out instructions before a play during the Orange-White Game on April 19.
Mitch Alcala, for the Tulsa World
Most of us believe Hejny will be the ultimate choice, not because of anything we saw in the spring game, but because OSU brought him in via the transfer portal. By his own admission, Hejny got a solid financial package to come to Stillwater.
We keep saying that college football is becoming more and more like the National Football League, and in the NFL, you play the one you pay. At least at the start. That’s the financial model.
And Hejny is a running quarterback. College football — heck, the NFL, too — has changed since Mason Rudolph stood in the OSU pocket and flung the ball all over Boone Pickens Stadium. A running quarterback makes offenses go, and Hejny is a runner deluxe, from all accounts.
We have no idea yet if Hejny can throw the ball into Theta Pond even if his feet are wet, but there’s no doubt about his wheels. The guy can scoot.
Add in that OSU’s new offensive coordinator, Doug Meacham, was at Texas Christian last season with Hejny and in theory wouldn’t have endorsed Hejny without belief he could do the job, and it’s looking like proper pronunciation is in order for OSU fans. It’s Hoss Haney.
Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores looks for a receiver during the Orange-White Game on April 19 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Mitch Alcala photos, for the Tulsa World
But there’s one thing to remember for the Zane Flores campaign. Gundy likes homegrown quarterbacks. Gundy always has liked homegrown quarterbacks.
In 20 seasons as the OSU coach, Gundy has used 19 starting quarterbacks.
Six were the result of injury. Three or four because Gundy had trouble making up his mind. The rest were bonafide starting quarterbacks.
But no matter the situation, Gundy always has tilted to homegrown quarterbacks.
Only four of those 19 were transfers: Al Pena, who came from Georgia Tech and filled in for the injured Donovan Woods in 2005; Daxx Garman, who came from Arizona and took over for the injured J.W. Walsh in 2014; Dru Brown, Hawaii, who subbed for the injured Spencer Sanders in 2019; and Alan Bowman, Michigan, who won an into-September-battle with Rangel and Gunnar Gundy in 2023.
When Brown battled Taylor Cornelius for the 2018 QB job, Gundy chose Corndog. When Bowman, Rangel and Gunnar Gundy staged that confounding three-man derby in 2023, Gundy platooned them through three games, before settling on Bowman, the people’s choice, an option that seemed correct when the 2023 season went well and a massive mistake when 2024 flopped.
Gundy is not a shiny-new-toy coach. He stuck with his staff long after all kinds of critics called for change. He was slow to go all-in on the portal. He gives quarterbacks a long leash, Bowman being the latest case.
The situation seems to point to Hejny. But Gundy’s history points to Flores. Might be in your best interest to learn Flores’ last name, too. Floors.
Don’t count him out.
Thunder bench shows off
The best Thunder lineup in the just-concluded Memphis playoff series was not the starting unit of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein.That lineup was solid. In 49 minutes (a virtual game length) together, that lineup outscored Memphis 119-107. Any team would take that performance.
But the best Thunder lineup in the series was a five-man unit that included only two starters: Williams and Hartenstein, along with Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins, were lethal against the Grizzlies. In 14 minutes together (barely over a quarter), that five-man unit outscored Memphis 47-33.
These NBA Playoffs are noted for lack of depth on some quite-potent teams. The Lakers didn’t substitute in the second half of a 116-113 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. The Nuggets would like to cut the games in half and never take out a starter.
But the Thunder is quite content consistently going to its bench. Mark Daigneault used 10 players in the first quarter of Game 1, and none of them were Wiggins, who started the second quarter. Daigneault routinely used 10 players against the Grizzlies; he used 11 in the 117-115 closeout victory Saturday.
And that lineup of Williams, Hartenstein, Caruso, Wallace and Wiggins — missing starters Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Holmgren — was the most effective against the Grizzlies. That’s a defensive lineup, with Wallace and Caruso, yet in those 14 minutes, the Thunder made 21 of 29 shots and assisted on 14 of the baskets. That’s high-level offense.
The next-best lineup was similar. The same makeup, only exchanging Wiggins for sharpshooter Isaiah Joe. In 14 minutes, that lineup outscored Memphis 32-19.
When you can rest Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Holmgren together and not just hold steady but extend the lead, victory is quite likely. The Thunder has abundant depth. It’s also getting well-rested, with the series sweep. The Thunder is set up for extended playoff success.
