Ollie Gordon II hopes to follow in footsteps of past Doak Walker Award winners
Ollie Gordon II has pedigree.
No, it’s not related to his time at Oklahoma State which has produced its fair share of great running backs from Barry Sanders to Thurman Thomas. No, it’s not related to him hailing from Texas, the birthplace of several Pro Football Hall of Famers including Earl Campbelll, LaDainian Tomlison and Michael Strahan. It’s not even because he’ll start the season as a 21-year-old, an age that saw several tailbacks including Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott and Clinton Portis dominate as rookies.
The pedigree happens to be linked to his Doak Walker Award-winning season in 2023, a honor given to the best collegiate running back in the country. Here’s why that award is significant: all the tailbacks that have won it in the last decade have gone on to have one season of at least 900 yards if they played in the NFL. And while no one can predict whether Gordon will follow the trend, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could do so as a rookie based solely on availability.
“It’s just taking it day-by-day to be honest,” Gordon said when asked about the possibility of starting. “If that’s the case, that’s just the case and I’ll have to step up to the plate for that. If that’s not the case, just got to keep grinding.”
Gordon initially entered into the preseason as the fourth tailback on the depth chart.
Then the injury bug bit. Alexander Mattison suffered a season-ending neck injury. Jaylen Wright underwent surgery on his knee. And then De’Von Achane’s calf injury kept him out of practice until the first week of the regular season.
Such is life in the NFL – one injury can change everything. And few people on the team have taken better advantage of the opportunity than Gordon, according to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
“That opportunity allowed for him to either succeed in growing or fail with all the things that are on a rookie’s plate,” McDaniel said. “It was really cool to see the guy rise to the challenge. I saw a guy that really cared about his teammate’s respect and regard and made sure that he was on his non-ball assignments and the things he was being coached, he tried to do with exact certainty. And you can tell just by emphasizing things one day and then watching guys respond and I think they’ve all learned to really regard his ability to rise to the occasion in moments that the team needs him to.”
While Achane is on track to play in Sunday’s season opener against the Colts, Gordon will likely serve as the second running back due to Wright’s injury. This comes after quite the impressive training camp that saw the rookie show flashes of his 2023 form in the Dolphins’ three preseason games, posting a total of 126 yards – the third-highest in the league – on 26 carries. Even before Wright’s injury, Gordon looked to have the edge on the depth chart just due to the physicality with which he runs, something that has certainly impressed his teammates.
“You’re going to feel him every time he runs,” Dolphins center Aaron Brewer said. “You can visually see it every time. He’s putting his shoulder down, he’s going to make every defensive back, linebacker, whoever trying to tackle him, they’re going to feel it every down, every time he touches the ball and I love it.”
“Ollie is great,” right tackle Austin Jackson added. “I love how he runs the ball. He plays with so much speed for someone at his size, which is really great for him. I’m excited for him.”
If Gordon, who recently told reporters that he feels closer to his 2023 self, can recapture some of the magic that made his award-winning season so special, the Dolphins will be in for a great season. The then-Oklahoma State tailback ran for more than 1,700 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns – he added another score and an additional 324 yards through the air – en route to winning the Doak Walker award.
“It just shows that those who win that award are great,” Gordon said when asked about the trend. “Obviously they make it to the next level for a reason but it’s just good backs: being able to get into the league and dominate.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 4:21 PM.
