Can Ollie Gordon Rush For 2,000 Yards Next Season?
Oklahoma State has one of the best running backs in the country, and he is in a position to make history next season.
In 2023, Ollie Gordon had one of the best rushing seasons in OSU history. He finished his sophomore campaign with 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. His yardage was good for the sixth-most in a season in OSU history.
While Gordon emerged as the Cowboys’ offensive leader by midseason, he did not get the full load at running back until conference play began. Throughout the Cowboys’ first three games, he combined to get only 109 yards. He surpassed that mark in nine of OSU’s 11 remaining games.
After the bizarre decision to not involve him in the offense through three games, OSU thrived offensively. In the final 11 games, Gordon averaged 147.5 yards per game on the ground.
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Had he gotten that same opportunity in the nonconference slate against some of OSU’s worst opponents, he could have had a much higher single-season total.
Assuming he could have rushed for 147.5 yards each game, Gordon would have finished with 2,065 yards last season. Considering he will enter as a Heisman hopeful in 2024, that kind of production is within reach.
Throughout the long history of OSU football, only two players have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season. Barry Sanders holds the all-time rushing record in college football with 2,850 yards in 1988. Recently, Chuba Hubbard joined Sanders on the list with 2,094 yards in the 2019 season.
Assuming Gordon can have more explosive games with 200 yards next season, he could be well on his way to joining that list and perhaps passing Hubbard for the second-best season in OSU history.
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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.