Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon was once the toast of the town in terms of college running backs. Hearing his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft was not a matter of if, but when. Superstardom seemed inevitable, and yet, in the span of a year, his dreams may have come to a crashing halt. The man once labeled the best running back in all of college football may have a future that doesn’t involve carries and touchdowns, after posting a 4.61 forty-yard dash at The Combine.
Entering his true sophomore season, Gordon had an opportunity to be the starter for The Cowboys, and possibly the team’s workhorse back. The first three games of the season did not showcase his skills, as he saw limited use against Central Arkansas, Arizona State, and South Alabama. He totaled just 19 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns. It was against Iowa State on September 23rd when the world got a glimpse of his potential.
Against the Cyclones, Gordon carried the ball 18 times for 121 yards, and the OSU coaching staff continued to give him the ball more and more. He blew up on October 21st against West Virginia, carrying the ball 29 times for 282 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for more than 150 yards five times on the year, finishing the season with an NCAA-leading 1,732 rushing yards. He added 330 receiving yards, for 2,062 total yards from scrimmage.
Gordon was named first-team All-American, and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He capped the season against Texas A&M in a 31-23 Texas Bowl win. He finished the game with 27 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown.
In Mark Schlabach’s ESPN article Way-too-early 2024 Heisman Trophy contenders, Gordon is listed among the favorites to win the award in 2024. It made sense at the time, especially when considering that former OSU running back and Heisman winner Barry Sanders quadrupled his production from his sophomore season to his junior season. 2024 did not get off to a great start for Gordon, though. In July of 2024, he was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving.
Things did not get better on the football field. Despite opening the season with 28 carries, 126 yards, and three touchdowns versus South Dakota State, the season as a whole would be a bust. Gordon ran for 50 or fewer yards in a game six times, including closing out the season with four carries for 10 yards against Colorado on November 29th. Oklahoma State lost nine consecutive games to end the season and was not invited to a bowl game. Gordon finished the season with 190 carries for 880 yards (4.6 yards per carry).
Gordon’s forty time in Indianapolis may have sealed his fate. He ran slower than 15 players who play on the defensive front seven, and a running back shouldn’t be slower than the guys trying to tackle him. During the 2024 NFL Combine, only five running backs had a slower forty time than 4.61. Just one of those five players was drafted. Audric Estime out of Notre Dame ran a 4.71 forty, and was taken in the fifth round by the Denver Broncos.
This doesn’t mean there is a glimmer of hope. Unlike Gordon, Estime actually improved from his sophomore year (156 carries for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns) to his junior year (210 carries for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns). A running back with below-average speed, who regressed in his most recent season, and has an arrest record, may find himself with his fingers crossed that a team signs him as an undrafted free agent. It may be the biggest draft stock crash that anyone has ever seen.
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