STILLWATER, Okla. — In the past two years where Ollie Gordon has been in the spotlight, he hasn’t been one to shy away from the facts.
He always spoke to the media and answered questions throughout his Doak Walker Award season. Before the bowl game, he addressed the speculations he was going to transfer in a mature manner.
This summer, Gordon attended Big 12 Media Days a week after his DUI arrest and talked about the night he was arrested and the days that followed. He wanted to be the one to control the narrative, whether it was a positive story or not.
So when the junior running back was asked why he hasn’t chosen to opt out for the rest of Oklahoma State’s season, Gordon was direct with his answer.
“I finish what I start,” Gordon said. “My momma always told me that you finish what you start. Who would I be to give up on my team because our season is not going how we want it to go? So just because our season is not going how it’s supposed to I’m supposed to give up now? That’s really weird, and the way that people can just sit there and say that, it’s crazy. They’re wasting their breath saying it because I’m not giving up on my team.”
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During Oklahoma State game broadcasts and on social media, there have been calls for Gordon to sit out the rest of the 2024 season. The Cowboys are 3-5 and have lost all five of their Big 12 games.
In 2024, the reigning All-American running back has rushed for 568 yards and eight touchdowns, avering 4.2 yards per carry. As teams have sold out to stop Gordon, the Cowboys have struggled to establish much of a run game.
Gordon has also not been 100% healthy this year as he recovers from an injured left hip and the wear and tear of the season. As he left the game against West Virginia earlier this month, ESPN commentator Kirk Morrison posed that it might have been Gordon’s last collegiate game.
“If I’m Ollie Gordon, I probably played my last play at Oklahoma State,” Morrison said on the ESPN2 broadcast. “Ollie may have to start thinking about himself as this game, or this season continues. Not really much to play for.”
Kirk Morrison after Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon was hurt in Saturday’s game.
“If I’m Ollie Gordon, I probably played my last play at Oklahoma State…Ollie may have to start thinking about himself as this game, or this season, continues. Not really much to play for.” pic.twitter.com/KFVBdnRieA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2024
After that loss to West Virginia was Oklahoma State’s bye week. The next game was at BYU where Gordon rushed for 107 yards and scored three total touchdowns. He scored two more touchdowns last week at Baylor.
It’s clear that though many of Oklahoma State’s preseason goals are gone, Gordon still has things to play for.
“It hasn’t really changed my mindset,” said Gordon about teams shutting him down this year. “The mindset was get the ball, get downhill. And with everybody’s eyes on me, I feel like that opens up a bunch of things for the team.”
Mike Gundy talked about Gordon’s positive mindset despite not having as big of an impact as he did in 2023.
“Ollie loves Oklahoma State and he really wants to win and he’s highly competitive,” Gundy said. “I mean you can see it in him, y’all watch him in the games. I mean when he is jawing with people, it is not because he is for show and tell. Like he’s the guy in the playground that never wants to lose in pickup basketball. And he loves that side of it, but he also knows that his future is based on his production level, based on the opportunity he has on every play, and I think that he’s maximized that.”
Currently Gordon is rated as the No. 59 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, per CBS Sports. He’s the fifth-highest rated running back prospect.
Be sure to follow Oklahoma State beat writer McClain Baxley on Twitter @McClainBaxley.
