Hauss Hejny injury: Oklahoma State QB out significant amount of time with broken foot

Oklahoma State starting quarterback Hauss Hejny suffered a broken bone in his foot Thursday night in the Cowboys' season-opening 27-7 win over UT Martin.

Henjy is expected to miss a significant period of time due to the injury. He could have surgery to repair the issue as soon as Sunday, per a source.

The TCU transfer got off to an impressive start in Hejny's Cowboys debut. He led the team on back-to-back touchdown drives to begin the game. But he appeared to suffer an injury on the following drive, and he did not return the rest of the game. 

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Hejny finished the night 5-for-10 with 96 yards passing and touchdown to go along with four carries for 27 yards and a score. 

While Oklahoma State did not offer injury specifics, it did confirm Hejny will be out multiple weeks. 

"We're proud of the way Hauss played last night and wish him a full and speedy recovery," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said in a statement. "I'm thankful for our medical staff and their ability to provide prompt, top-tier care for our team."

Oklahoma State third-year quarterback Zane Flores took Hejny's place and threw for 136 yards on 13-for-20 passing. It was his first collegiate action with the Cowboys. 

Flores and Hejny had been locked in a tight quarterback battle throughout fall camp. But the TCU transfer was named the starter ahead of the opener. Sources around the program credited Hejny's running ability for giving him a edge in the competition. 

The spotlight in Stillwater now turns to Flores, who had a ton of hype coming to Stillwater as a high-three-star recruit in the 2023 class. The Nebraska native was an Elite 11 finalist and picked Oklahoma State over a host of national offers. Flores served as Alan Bowman's backup the last two seasons. 

It'll be interesting to see how Flores responds and develops chemistry with first-year Cowboys offensive coordinator Doug Meacham, who came over from TCU with Hejny earlier this offseason. 

The Cowboys have a high-profile road game next week against No. 7 Oregon. It's a huge test for Oklahoma State, which is coming off a disastrous 3-9 campaign. Oklahoma State restructured Gundy's deal following the 2024 season, with the 58-year-old taking a $1 million pay cut on his annual salary through the remainder of his contract, which runs through the 2028 campaign.

Gundy, the second-longest tenured head coach in the FBS, has never posted back-to-back losing seasons in his 21-year career as Oklahoma State's coach. But there's a lot of pressure on Gundy entering 2025 to rebound, especially given the tense nature of the discussions around his contract following last season. 

Hejny was part of a big roster overhaul for the Cowboys this offseason. Oklahoma State signed 41 transfers, which is a major departure from how Gundy handled his roster in the past. For example, the Cowboys landed just eight transfers during the 2024 cycle and 13 in 2023. 

In all, Oklahoma State returns just four starters off its 2024 roster. 

Now, Oklahoma State must count on its internal development of Flores to survive a long Big 12 season.