Can Ollie Gordon II Repeat His Stellar Performance in 2024?

Can Ollie Gordon II Repeat His Stellar Performance in 2024?

It feels like every year, we have players come almost out of nowhere and put on incredible seasons, establishing themselves as future stars. Last season, one of those guys was Oklahoma State Running Back Ollie Gordon II. After not getting many snaps in 2022, Gordon would explode for a monster season in 2023, finishing with 1,732 rushing yards to go along with 21 rushing touchdowns.

But this begs the question: is Ollie Gordon II just a flash in the pan, or is he for real?

I can see both sides of the argument. While the Cowboys did go 10-3 last season, all three losses were fairly embarrassing (hosting South Alabama, at Iowa State, at UCF). On top of that, he struggled against lesser competition.

• Central Arkansas: 44 yards
• Arizona State: 53 yards
• UCF: 25 yards

Not only against weaker competition, but he was a non-factor in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas., where he finished with 34 rushing yards. There are also serious questions about his breakaway speed. Is he quicker than he is fast, or does he simply lack top-end speed? He’s also been prone at times to putting the ball on the ground, which is something NFL teams seriously have to take into consideration, even if he fixes the issue in 2024.

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However, if you are a believer in Ollie Gordon II, I can see that too. Yes, the games against lesser competition are not pretty, but Oklahoma State played some big-time games last season where Gordon would put on show after show. Nine games over 100 yards, including two over 250 yards.

• Kansas: 284 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns
• Oklahoma: 156 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns
• Texas A&M (Bowl game): 122 all-purpose yards, one touchdown
• West Virginia: 282 rushing yards, four touchdowns

There is a lot to like about Gordon’s game. He displays exceptional vision behind the line of scrimmage, and the patience to let the hole develop. Thicc in his lower body, Gordon is hard to bring down and will likely not go down upon first contact. One thing I love when scouting Running Backs is how they are in pass protection, and Gordon excels at it. Good knee bend to break into a cut and always falls forward when going down.

I have Ollie Gordon II as my RB2 in the 2025 NFL Draft rankings, which shows my confidence that he is not just a flash in the pan. However, I am leery that he can repeat his success from a year ago. While he may catch some slander if he does not put up similar numbers from a year ago, I don’t think it’s crazy to believe he can eclipse 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in 2024. With an easier schedule than last year, there’s a real chance he can match his numbers from a year ago. Pencil me in as cautiously optimistic.

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