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Former Cowboys Preparing For Saturday’s Senior Bowl

Senior Bowl practice sees three Cowboys shine.

Taylor Skieens

Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team running back Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State (0) runs through drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team running back Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State (0) runs through drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
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The final day of practice leading up to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl are complete and three former Oklahoma State Cowboy football players are feeling like they faired well in front of numerous NFL scouts. The senior bowl gives prospective NFL coaches and personnel one final look at out going NCAA seniors.

Collin Oliver was the only former Cowboy who didn’t get many reps during the two days of practice. He was virtually unused on Wednesday and on Thursday, Oliver could be seen on the field with a heavy upper leg wrap. Oliver missed a majority of his senior season in Stillwater following a season-ending surgery. It appears the injury bug has hit Oliver at the worst possible time.

As for the other players from Oklahoma State it was a good week that only kept getting better especially for linebacker Nick Martin and safety Trey Rucker.

“Speed, speed, speed,” the NFL Network’s Charles Davis said when asked by his broadcat partners what Martin brought to the defense in the practices. “He gets to plays, and yes, he runs around blocks, and some people don’t want you doing that because it destroys the integrity of the defense, but Martin gets there so fast that it doesn’t matter.”

Trey Rucker was out there for the first unit in team drills. He showed his physicality during the two days of practice against some of the best offensive talent in the nation. Rucker excelled in the one-on-one drills of Thursday.

Finally, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II was getting the job done. He scored on an early redzone try and got a majority of the looks with the first teams.

The announcer on Thursday had this to say about Gordon. “He is on the shortlist of MVP candidates for the game,” Jeremiah said. “he has size, ability, and he makes one defender miss or break a tackle then he is capable of going all the way.”

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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