Oklahoma State plans to start redshirt freshman Hauss Hejny at quarterback Thursday in the season opener at home against UT Martin, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
Hejny and Zane Flores had been battling for the job this preseason, and Flores could also play in the game. Hejny played in four games last season at TCU before transferring and preserved his redshirt season. He came to Oklahoma State with Doug Meacham, who is in his first season as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator.
The 6-foot, 206-pound Hejny saw meaningful action in road wins last season against Stanford, Kansas, Utah and Cincinnati. A dual-threat quarterback, Hejny has outstanding speed and the ability to make defenders miss. He had eight carries for 48 yards in the win last year over Cincinnati, including a run of 21 yards. Hejny did not attempt a pass last season for the Horned Frogs.
Oklahoma State had four players competing for the job in the spring, but Garret Rangel transferred to Virginia Tech and Maealiuaki Smith to Ole Miss.
Flores, also a redshirt freshman, is more of a pocket passer. Like Hejny, he has yet to throw a pass in a college game. This is his third year on campus; he missed all of last season with an injury and received a medical hardship waiver, and he didn't see any game action his first year and redshirted.