Ollie Gordon Named a Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Another layer has been added to Ollie Gordon’s impressive 2023 season.
On Monday, it was announced that Gordon is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award. The honor is awarded to the best player in college football, which Gordon has made a strong case for this season.
Through 10 games this season, Gordon is the nation’s leading rusher and has been the engine for Oklahoma State’s offense. Gordon had a tough outing against UCF on Saturday, going for only 25 yards, but in OSU’s five-game winning streak, he was on another level.
In that stretch, Gordon finished with at least 200 scrimmage yards in three straight games. That includes back-to-back games against West Virginia and Cincinnati, where he went for 553 yards combined on the ground.
For the season, Gordon has 1,250 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground. But he has also shown flashes of his versatility as a receiver.
Against Kansas, Gordon finished with more than 100 yards rushing and receiving. With career-highs of six receptions and 116 receiving yards, Gordon scored his only receiving touchdown this season and just the third of his career.
Gordon also played an integral role in upsetting No. 9 Oklahoma in the last scheduled Bedlam game. He had 156 total yards and two touchdowns, including one to give OSU its final lead in the fourth quarter.
Of the 17 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, Gordon is one of six non-quarterbacks and joins Michigan’s Blake Corum as the only other running back. Gordon is the first OSU player named a Maxwell Award semifinalist since Chuba Hubbard in 2019.
While Heisman hype has died down after OSU’s beatdown at UCF, Gordon’s inclusion on the Maxwell Award semifinalist list is a good sign for his potential Heisman consideration. Eight of the past nine Heisman winners have also won the Maxwell.
Although Gordon’s odds of winning either award are slim, if he can put together a good finish to the season and help OSU to a Big 12 title, he could come away with some hardware.
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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.