Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II and Repeating Last Year's Success

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Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II was a unanimous All-American, First Team All-Big 12, the FBS leader in rushing yards, and the Doak Walker Award winner last year. 285 carries for 1,732 yards (6.1 yards/carry), 39 receptions for 330 yards and 22 total touchdowns will certainly earn you those accolades. Gordon was already on the Big Board of many NFL Draft experts in 2023 but chose to return to the Cowboys for his junior year. Now, expectations are higher than ever. Can he meet them, or will he be a flash in the pan?

Analyzing Ollie Gordon

Ollie Gordon is a bigger back, clocking in at 6-foot-1-inch and 211 pounds, yet has the finesse and speed to break open any run at any time. Gordon has a ton of patience and an excellent ability to find space too, making him an all-around great backfield presence and someone opposing linebackers are extra wary of.

Gordon, with his bigger size, also has the ability to shed tackles and impose his will on defenders, which can be seen in many of his highlight clips. He's not a Jerome Bettis or Derrick Henry size, but can bounce off tackles and use his bigger frame to his advantage just like them. In an age where the bigger power backs are being phased out, having that balance is better than leaning one way or the other. His receiving ability also makes him a great prospect, catching balls out of the backfield and making nothing into something with his mobility and footwork.

Overall, Gordon doesn't have many flaws, you could say there's not a lot of tape on him considering this past year was his first full year of workhorse responsibility, however, stats don't lie. Ollie Gordon is among the best players not only at his position but in all of college football, which is why he's in contention for another Doak Walker, the Heisman Trophy, and is regarded as the top running back in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ollie Gordon's Competitors

Gordon is certainly a fantastic back, however, he does not stand alone in the race for the Doak Walker Award. He doesn't even stand alone as the sole contender in the Big 12, which says a ton about the competition he has this year. In terms of Heisman candidacy, he'll have to compete with names like Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck, and Dillion Gabriel, among others, which is just another reminder of how brimming with talent this 2024-25 season is. Gordon set himself apart last year by coming out of essentially nowhere and being a back who got a lot of carries in an offense that relied on him heavily. However, with coaches having a decent amount of tape on him now, as well as the Oklahoma State offense likely having to make adjustments due to the development of receiver talent and the return of Alan Bowman, does Gordon have the ability to repeat last year's historic campaign or better it?

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The talent and football IQ are certainly there, but can he outpace names like Quinshon Judkins, Omarion Hampton and Treveyon Henderson, or even backs in his own conference like Tahj Brooks, Devin Neal, and DJ Giddens? Gordon gets more carries than the vast majority of them, but will that still be the case this year? Can he repeat his production now that teams have more tape on him? If so, then Gordon is in all likelihood going to be the nation's best back again. He has the tools and skills to be an all-time great back as well as skills that will translate smoothly to the next level. Time will tell, but Gordon certainly made a name for himself last year and has an excellent chance to remind people of his name this year too. Expect him to be right back up there again and expect him to be the face of Oklahoma State football once again.