Running Backs and Ollie Gordon Impress Early in Spring As Day Two in the Books

STILLWATER – Day two of spring practice in the books and on the sidelines running backs Jaylen Warren and L.D. Brown were looking on sporting their Oklahoma State backpacks and looking fit and trim for the Pro Day that comes up for them tomorrow. Warren told me he will not run again (4.55 at the NFL Combine). He will do some drills and position drills as well as the bench press on Thursday. Brown was not at the combine and will do it all.

Texas Football - Robbie Rakestraw

The Ollie Gordon hurdle.

Those two guys, like many others the first two days of spring practice for the Cowboys, have stared some at freshman running back Ollie Gordon. The Euless Trinity High School product and a four-star signee in the Cowboys 2022 recruiting class is 6-1, 211-pounds and he had an 11-yard touchdown run and a touchdown catch in Tuesday’s first practice. He made plays in Wednesday’s second practice as well.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” whispered one member of the football staff. Nobody wants to be guilty of the early hype on a player, but I remember last spring doing a little hype on Jaylen Warren and then when he hurdled a defender on the run in the spring game the fans in Boone Pickens Stadium did the oohs and aahs.

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Gordon (0) with a touchdown catch on Tuesday.

Quarrerback Spencer Sanders isn’t in the hype mode, but Gordon, who did rush for 2,546-yards (9.9-yards per carry) and 35 touchdowns as a senior last fall, does have the veteran quarterback’s attention.

“That’s the tallest running back that I’ve been around since I’ve been here, so to me he is pretty big,” said Spencer of the obvious physical stature of Gordon. “I’m just excited and like I said with the younger guys I just want to watch and see him grow, how he plays and how he does, and how he develops over the years. I’ve got two years left here and who’s to say I stay for both of them, but I just want to see him develop and turn into a great player.”

A little foreshadowing there. Yes, Sanders knows he has two years of eligibility left, so good he knows it and hopefully he will stay for both. Sanders, that receiver corps, and some of those young running backs like Gordon could be pretty dangerous for Big 12 defenses.

Head coach Mike Gundy is confident that running backs coach John Wozniak will develop Gordon, CJ Brown, red-shirt freshman and speedster Jaden Nixon, returning veteran Dominic Richardson, and Zach Middleton into a running back group that will get the job done.

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Jaden Nixon (23) has looked good in practice thus far, but it is very early.

“You know, we'd like to play with three guys and truthfully the key will be to keep them healthy this spring,” Gundy said on Tuesday. “They need live reps, they need to get in there, they need to get hit. We need to see if they can withstand punishment, if they can hold onto the ball, what their endurance level is. So that's a very important position this spring."

It’s early, full pads haven’t come on yet, but the eye test has been applied and all of them have passed, especially Gordon.

As for Tuesday’s practice on the offensive side big plays for walk-on receiver C.J. Tate with a scoring grab from lefty Gunnar Gundy. Another walk-on Clayton Barbour caught a scoring pass from freshman Garret Rangel. Sanders had a touchdown toss to Brennan Presley.

The defense had it’s highlights too in the late team period that focused on red zone offense and defense. Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad had an interception to match the starter on the other side Korie Black that had one on Tuesday. Late in the practice safety Kendal Daniels picked off a pass and took it to the house.

With Pro Day tomorrow morning, the Cowboys will be off with the next practice, number three for the spring on Friday.