Ollie Gordon announces return to Oklahoma State in 2024
Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon announced that he will be returning to Oklahoma State for the 2024 season.
There had been some thought that Gordon would move on from college and enter the NFL Draft. However, with this announcement, professional football will have to wait another year for the star running back.
Ollie Gordon made the announcement on social media. There, he posted, “Let’s do it,” along with a minute and a half long video.
The video shows Ollie Gordon in school president Kayse Shrum’s office alongside Pistol Pete reviewing game film. That’s when President Shrum walks in and asks him what he’s doing.
It was a simple answer, “I’m home. Welcome to Olliewood.”
At that point, the video cuts into highlights of Gordon playing. He and President Shrum also practice their Heisman Trophy celebration. He then went on to predict that the Heisman Trophy is coming to Oklahoma State next season when he returns to play for the Cowboys.
Ollie Gordon won the Doak Walker Award in 2023 after a phenomenal season on the ground. He led the nation in rushing yards with 1,614 yards and finished second in rushing touchdowns with 20. He even had 37 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown through the air this season.
“Staying committed. It was an easy thing, you know. We were playing good as a team, so I didn’t care about the reps or anything. Just being a team guy,” Gordon said of his dominant performance in 2023. “And then when everything started clicking for us. It got better…”
Now, in 2024, Ollie Gordon will look to build on that momentum to mount a Heisman Trophy campaign. If he does so, he’ll be the first Cowboy to do so since Barry Sanders. A legendary figure, that’s a comparison that any running back would love to have.
Steve Sarkisian praised Ollie Gordon
Ahead of the Big 12 Championship Game, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had nothing but praise for Ollie Gordon.
“I love Ollie Gordon,” Sarkisian said. “I love the way that he plays. He’s a big, physical back, and they utilize him out of the pistol and he runs downhill. But, the thing that he also has is big playability. When he gets in the open field, he can take it the distance.”
In the end, Ollie Gordon wasn’t enough to overcome Texas in that game. However, there is belief within the Oklahoma State program that the Cowboys are well positioned for the future.