Ollie Gordon II named 2023 Doak Walker Award winner

Oklahoma State star running back Ollie Gordon II was named the 2023 Doak Walker Award winner on Friday evening, given to the nation’s best running back. The news was announced on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show on Friday night.

Gordon was downright dominant in 2023, leading the nation in rushing yards (1,614 yards), finishing second in rushing touchdowns (20), and ranking third among Power Five running backs in yards per rush. He cleared the 100-yard mark in eight of his last 10 games of the season. Gordon even had one stretch of three straight games with more than 270 yards of total offense.

As a receiver, Gordon even hauled in 37 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown this year, establishing himself as one of the most dynamic all-purpose backs in the nation.

In bringing home the hardware, Gordon beat out the two other finalists, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Missouri’s Cody Schrader.

Gordon’s highest rushing total of the year came against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Nov. 21st, when he erupted for 282 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. He averaged 9.7 yards per carry in that contest. The Texas native also exploded against Cincinnati on October 28th, gashing them for 271 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Oklahoma State legend Barry Sanders congratulated Gordon shortly after he won the award via video message. And Jen Lada asked Gordon what it mean to him to have one of the greatest to ever do it congratulate him on bringing home the award. “Honestly, you know it’s a blessing. Just to be in the same conversation as him. Same topic as him. Barry Sanders is a great guy. Great running back. Stillwater loves him. Still loves him. And for him to send that message, you know, I really appreciate that,” Gordon said.

Gordon wasn’t a huge part of the Cowboys’ offensive game plan for the first three weeks. He only had 109 total rushing yards in the first three weeks. But he exploded down the stretch, averaging 150.5 rushing yards per game in the final 10 games of the 2023 season.

How did he stay committed and what changed so that he was able to dominate in the last 10 games? “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. “And then when everything started clicking for us. It got better…”

What does winning the award mean to him? “It means a lot,” the Oklahoma State star said.