OSU Football Superstar Listed as Top Running Back in College Football
Stillwater is home to the best running back in college football across the nation.
Last season, Ollie Gordon was the sport's best-kept secret. In fact, he wasn't even known to be a superstar on the roster ahead of the season. During Oklahoma State's rough 2-2 start to the season, the Cowboys hardly gave Gordon snaps or touches.
The second Gordon saw an uptick in opportunity, his production soared and the Cowboys' offense took a huge leap. There were other factors, too, as a full-time starting quarterback was selected and Kasey Dunn simplified the offensive scheme.
Still, Gordon's Heisman-level play helped Oklahoma State turn around their season, which ended with them playing in the Big 12 title game and winning the Texas Bowl over Texas A&M. He posted 1,732 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 285 carries during the season. Again, he posted those stats while hardly touching the football through the first three games.
After winning the Doak Walker Award this past season, Gordon continues to receive praise and recognition as the sport's best running back this offseason. Most recently,
ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy released his top ten college football running backs for the 2024 season and, of course, Gordon reigned atop the list.
“He’s going to try to join Jonathan Taylor, Darren McFadden and Ricky Williams as the only running backs to ever win the Doak Walker Award twice,” McElroy said. “And he was the obvious choice last year when looking at what he accomplished.”
Not only will Gordon be a contender to win the Doak Walker Award once again, but he could be in the mix for the Heisman Award if his numbers and production takes a leap in his third year in Stillwater. He finished No. 7 in Heisman voting a season ago, and the recognition continues to pour in for the Cowboys superstar.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022