Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon broke onto the scene during his 2023 sophomore season. He carried the ball 285 times for 1,732 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also added 39 receptions for 330 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys. He led the nation in rushing yards and second in total rushing touchdowns. This led to many devy fantasy players picking him up in off-season drafts, with high hopes for another excellent season. Will he be able to get near the performances he achieved last season?
Ollie Gordon 2023 Stats And Production
As mentioned, Ollie Gordon blew up last season for Oklahoma State with over 2,000 surplus yards and 22 touchdowns. What was really impressive was that he had nine games over 100+ rushing yards, with two of those being 200+ rushing games. Gordon combined for 553 rushing yards and six touchdowns in his week 8 and 9 games over West Virginia and Cincinnati, respectively. In week 7, he had 168 rushing yards and 166 receiving yards against Kansas. Ollie Gordon was an unstoppable force for the majority of the season.
Only two teams kept him below 4.0 yards a carry in Texas and UCF; both times, Ollie Gordon was around the 2.0 yards a carry mark. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy confirmed that the blocking was an issue in both games while also having to chase a large deficit, resulting in more passing plays. The week 3 game against South Alabama saw him only have three carries; again, the team was chasing the game. Despite a few low-productive games, Gordon finished with a rushing average of 6.1 yards per carry, the third most in running backs with over 200 carries last season. The scary part for Ollie Gordon is he is just scratching the surface, with more certainly to come in the 2024 college football season.
Ollie Gordon 2024 Devy Outlook
The main question for Ollie Gordon in 2024 is, will he continue where he left off in the TaxAct Texas Bowl against Texas A&M in 2023? The bar he has set is very high, so he doesn’t necessarily need to hit those numbers again, although he definitely has the talent to do that. Fans want to see an injury-free season, showing that a bell cow role is no issue while also having another above-1,000 rushing season again.
A few small areas that Gordon can work on to be an even more complete back are his patience and concentration. He has a knack for being too patient in the backfield, missing his running lanes at times. His concentration is a slight concern, with two fumbles last season, which is relatively low for a college running back. However, at the next level, having zero in 2024 would be a statement.
Final Thoughts
After he broke out in the 2023 season, Ollie Gordon was picked up in almost all supplemental devy drafts this off-season. He was nearly always selected with the first three picks. The possibility that Gordon could be an every-down back is too good of a possibility not to draft him if you had the chance.
As of now, Gordon could easily be the first running back drafted and possibly a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are a bunch of running backs that the NFL will value heading into the draft next season. However, with another successful season, while creating a few areas of concern, he is a surefire first-round draft pick.
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