GRETNA, Neb. — When Zane Flores heard from college after college without receiving a scholarship offer last year and into this winter, the quarterback and his coaches at Gretna High School concocted a few theories.

Recruiters from Power 5 programs complimented Flores’ work ethic, his throwing ability and intangibles, but their praise often preceded a question: Why no offers, not even from a school like South Dakota State, the successful FCS program some 240 miles north of Gretna that recruits Omaha’s Metro Conference heavily?

“South Dakota State is here, and they love him,” Gretna coach Mike Kayl would say. “But they don’t think they’ll get him.

“Somebody’s gotta be first. It’s a strange thing in recruiting.”

Those SDSU coaches were right, as it turns out.

Four months after Flores as a third-year starter led Gretna to a 12-1 finish and a state championship in Nebraska’s largest class, his recruiting profile is skyrocketing. Ahead of his stop Sunday at the Elite 11 regional in Dallas to match against a handful of the top 2023 quarterbacks from Texas and surrounding states, Flores received an offer this week from Washington.

Add the Huskies to his Power 5 suitors jumping on board with offers in the past six weeks, including Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Pitt and Oregon State. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior is speeding toward status as the most coveted high school quarterback out of Nebraska since Eric Crouch, the Heisman Trophy winner, 26 years ago.

Flores is set to visit Ohio State on April 4 to observe a spring practice and meet the coaching staff. The Buckeyes are serious about considering him for an offer.

“It would have been nice for this to happen early in my high school career,” Flores said, “but really I focused on what I could do to become a better player. I kind of figured the offers would come as long as I kept working. And it’s not going to do a lot if I’m over here stressing about colleges.”

In a world of QB recruiting obsessed with offer lists, star rankings and NIL value, Flores provides a breath of fresh air. He’s moving up, no doubt, ranked as a three-star prospect and No. 34 QB nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, but Flores’ focus remains elsewhere.

He’s intent to stay on balance amid a recruiting frenzy after he threw for 2,885 yards last season on 70 percent passing, with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

“He’s always been an elite competitor,” Gretna offensive coordinator Riley Gross said. “You maybe can’t tell because he keeps his emotions in check, but he has that drive to win. It’s almost like that Joe Burrow quiet confidence. He’s not an arrogant kid, but he has that ‘it’ factor.

“And with this process taking longer than he expected or other people expected, he’s kept a level head. He’s never been a self-hype guy, but he’s used that lack of attention to fuel him.”

Truth is, Flores fits in a new class of high school quarterbacks. Five years ago, the transfer portal did not exist. One year ago, the NCAA had yet to grant blanket access for football players to transfer once in their careers without the requirement to sit out a full season.

More than 60 scholarship quarterbacks from the Power 5 level have entered the portal since last August. When college programs begin the search to fill holes, they often look first to the transfer market. And with the understanding that limited patience exists among QBs on campus, coaches no longer expect to keep five or six players on scholarship at the position.

The result? Fewer opportunities in recruiting for high school quarterbacks.

“The transfer portal is hard on kids and coaches,” said John Teigland, a former Division-II QB who has trained Flores and other Omaha-area players through the Warren Academy.

Save for the likes of uber-prospect Arch Manning and USC-bound quarterback Malachi Nelson, offers might not come as quickly for even the refined quarterbacks such as Flores.

Still, confusion about Flores’ lack of offers persisted around the state of Nebraska last fall. Gretna players, accustomed to his pinpoint accuracy on a full display of routes, had their own questions.

“We always knew Zane at some point was going to get interest from the bigger schools,” said Gretna receiver Joe Roll, who’s under consideration for a South Dakota State offer and plans to visit Kansas State next week with Flores.

In weekly meetings with Gross, the Gretna OC, Flores emphasized that he could control only his play on the field. His strong message resonated with teammates, especially as Gretna scored 110 points in three playoff games to reach the title game in just its fourth season as a participant in the state’s Class A.

It beat talent-rich Omaha Westside 7-3 for the championship, later vacated because of Gretna’s use of an ineligible player.

Undeterred, Flores still focuses on the controllables — his footwork, throwing motion and timing with receivers. It’s been that way for the QB since he showed up as an eighth-grader to participate in 6 a.m. workouts with the veteran Gretna players.

The work ethic comes naturally, Flores said. He learned from his brother, Canon, a 2017 Gretna graduate and four-year letter winner at NAIA Northwestern (Iowa) College. Their dad, Mel Flores, played tight end at D-II University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Kayl can’t recall another player in his program who’s shown such maturity from a young age. That it took longer for college programs to stand up and take notice made that first offer feel even better.

Coaches from Minnesota, Kansas State, Wyoming, Missouri, Iowa State and Northwestern convened on Jan. 28 to watch Flores throw. He seemed on the cusp of a breakthrough, especially with the portal movement slowing as spring-semester classes started at most colleges.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily a coincidence,” Gross said.

The first offer came on Feb. 7 from Bowling Green. Two days later, Kansas State coach Chris Klieman and offensive coordinator Collin Klein called the high school and asked to speak with Flores. Kayl pulled his quarterback out of study hall at the end of the day.

Flores camped at K-State last summer. He knew the coaches well but didn’t necessarily expect an offer.

“It was sort of surreal at first,” Flores said.

In fact, Flores quizzed Gross on the validity of the offer when the first one came.

“I don’t think Zane’s ever sent an exclamation point in a text message” before that first offer, Gross said. “Since then, he’s been fairly level-headed, true to who he is.”

He talks most to Klein and Oklahoma State quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay. Flores plans to visit Stillwater in April after the trip to Ohio State.

He communicated with Nebraska coaches before the reconstruction of its offensive staff in December. But Flores has not talked recently with the Huskers, who took a pledge in February from Massachusetts QB William Watson III.

The Gretna quarterback turned down an invite to a Nebraska Junior Day this month to take an unofficial visit to Kansas.

As for the Buckeyes, the interest rates as a big deal, Flores said. Ohio State lost QBs Jack Miller and Quinn Ewers, the top prospect nationally in the 2022 class, to the portal after C.J. Stroud enjoyed a breakout season last fall. It signed four-star prospect Devin Brown out of Utah in December but has not settled on a top target in the 2023 class.

I guarantee you he’s not going to look at Ohio State like a lot of kids look at Ohio State,” said Teigland, the private QB instructor. “It’s either going to be a fit or it’s not.”

In talking with Ohio State quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, Flores said the Buckeyes like his footwork.

“He could tell from the tape that I had the ability to read defenses,” Flores said.  He thought from watching the film that I should be rated higher as a quarterback.”

He might be rated higher soon.

The Elite 11 regional presents a big opportunity. Flores will be matched Sunday in Dallas with a group of quarterbacks that includes Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold, Baylor commit Austin Novosad, Arizona commit Brayden Dorman, Texas Tech commit Jake Strong and Michigan State commit Bo Edmunson.

All are rated higher than Flores, headlined by Arnold, a four-star prospect out of Denton, Texas, who sits 40th nationally among all players in the 247Sports Composite.

Flores is eager to get his chance to shine again.

“I’m excited to see what he does,” Kayl said.

Flores has improved his mobility with work in the gym and on the track. This spring, he’s competing in the long jump as part of the Gretna track and field team.

His arm was never in question, even as the college interest lagged. The only questions left: How many offers, and from whom, will Flores stockpile before reaching a college decision?

(Top photo: Courtesy of Gretna Media)