Where Oklahoma State's QB Situation Stands Through Four Games
Oklahoma State’s quarterback situation is beginning to get interesting.
On Saturday, OSU lost its conference opener at home in a top 15 matchup against Utah. Without star quarterback Cam Rising, the Utes did just enough to escape Stillwater with a win. While OSU didn’t have any injuries at quarterback, it still made a switch.
After Alan Bowman struggled in the first half and OSU failed to score on all but one drive, coach Mike Gundy went with Garret Rangel under center to begin the third quarter. Rangel has experience after competing for the starting spot last season and getting time at the end of 2022. However, his first impactful game time, coming against the best defense OSU might face all season, ended poorly.
Rangel had only 31 yards while completing 27% of his passes. Following his three drives, Bowman reentered the game and looked to provide a spark for OSU. Although he led the Cowboys to a couple of late touchdown drives, it was too little too late for the Cowboys.
Beyond Bowman and Rangel, OSU also has Zane Flores, a redshirt freshman who has yet to see the field in his career. When asked about the possibility of inserting Flores, Gundy said he is not to that point yet, citing a lack of reps in practice.
While Gundy reiterated that Bowman is OSU’s starter after the loss, his temporary benching still raises questions about how long Bowman’s leash is. Comparing Rangel to a relief pitcher, it seems like Bowman was never in danger of losing the starting spot on Saturday.
Still, a better performance from Rangel could have made things interesting. If OSU’s offense with Bowman sputters in a similar way in future games, Rangel could be back under center.
Although there doesn’t appear to be a quarterback battle through four games, one game where Rangel outplays Bowman could open options.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.