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USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 things to know about new Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon II
5 things to know about new Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon II The Miami Dolphins' one-two punch at running back has been speed complementing speed in the last couple years. But in lieu of another athlete with 4.3 speed, the Dolphins went a different route in the 2025 NFL draft. With the No. 179 pick in Round 6, the team added Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II. The 226-pound back is a bruising, powerful runner with a nose for the end zone and a thirst for contact. For the Dolphins, it could finally mean a higher success rate in third- and fourth-and-short situations. So who is Miami's new power back? Here are five things to know about Gordon: Gordon won the 2023 Doak Walker Award The Doak Walker Award honors the best running back in college football and Gordon was the easy choice in 2023. He led the nation in rushing with 1,732 yards and yards from scrimmage with 2,062. Getting a Doak Walker winner so late in the draft is pretty unprecedented. Gordon is the first recipient of the award to fall out of the first four rounds of the draft in over two decades. Of the last seven winners, Gordon is the only one who wasn't picked in the first two rounds. Gordon also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy vote in 2023. Gordon once dreamed of being the next Cam Newton at quarterback Before Gordon was putting up huge numbers in Stillwater, Okla., he was a dominant player at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. Coincidentally, that's the same school where Kader Kohou played his high school ball, although their time at Trinity didn't overlap. Gordon played running back at first, but finished his time at Trinity with a move to quarterback for his senior season. "I feel like I have more control of the team now,' Gordon told The Dallas Morning News back in 2021. 'I really always worked out with the quarterbacks. It wasn't a big change, but I was ready for it.' The goal for Gordon was to emulate his favorite player, Cam Newton. According to the Oklahoman, he grew up a Carolina Panthers fan because of his love of the quarterback. Gordon was arrested last summer for a DUI In July 2024, Gordon was arrested by Oklahoma Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence. Police told ESPN that the running back was driving 17 miles per hour over the speed limit and swerving between lanes before he was pulled over. After refusing a sobriety test, police say he registered a blood alcohol level of 0.10 and 0.11 -- above the Oklahoma legal limit of 0.08 percent. The situation generated even more attention when Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy brushed off the situation and said he wouldn't keep Gordon out of the lineup. The coach also said that drinking a few beers and getting behind the wheel is nothing he hasn't done. "I'm not justifying what Ollie did, I'm telling you what decision I made," Gundy said at Big 12 Media Day. "I thought, 'OK, I've probably done that 1,000 times in my life and it was just fine so I got lucky. People get lucky.'" Gordon takes pride in his pass blocking When Gordon is asked to help keep a pass rush at bay, his goal isn't just to keep his quarterback from being sacked. "When I'm in that pass pro mode, I'm trying to take you out," Gordon told reporters Saturday. "That's going to be your last play blitzing. If I've got to cut you, if I've got to run through your face -- that's going to be your last play blitzing, and I'm going to make you think about it. So that first time, if I don't get you, I promise later in the game, I'm going to get you. I promise you that one.' The Dolphins think Gordon can shake off a rough 2024 Following his Doak Walker winning campaign in 2023, Gordon had just 880 rushing yards in 2024. 'He had bad quarterback play, a subpar line and every defense was keyed on stopping him. Just watch his 2023 tape and skip 2024," a scout told Still, the significant drop off in statistics is the biggest reason Gordon was still on the board when the Dolphins were on the clock in Round 6. "It's not the first time that we've come across an evaluation even at that particular school where you have someone have a really big year followed by maybe a year that they didn't anticipate or was underwhelming for them," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. "The biggest thing is you try to meet the player, engage with him and see what the experience, how it's affected him. You're hoping that it burns a fire inside and I think it was pretty evident when we visited with him that he was eager to prove himself. So I think the '23 tape was very impressive and based upon our interactions with him, we feel optimistic that is the version that we're going to improve upon moving forward."
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Big Ten football's Position-U 2025: Who produces the most NFL talent at each position?
Big Ten football's Position-U 2025: Who produces the most NFL talent at each position? In the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, 26 out of the 32 first-round picks were from Big Ten or SEC programs. 11 of those picks came from the Big Ten, with 15 from the SEC. Both NIL and the transfer portal contribute to this greater trend, with many of these top players wanting to play in the two biggest conferences on the brightest stages. That, and those conferences recently expanded to include a greater share of the sport's powers. Since NFL draft picks began being tracked, Wisconsin ranks tied for 22nd for the most first-round picks, ranking just below Nebraska, Auburn, and Washington, and just above teams including Iowa and Oregon. With the conclusion of the 2025 draft and with the Big Ten's strong standing atop the sport, it's time to revisit the conference's 'Position U' for each position in the draft field. In other words, here is the Big Ten school that has been the best at producing each position in recent memory: Quarterback - USC USC is an obvious choice here, considering it has had the most quarterbacks drafted in the modern era (17), four of which were selected in the first round (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Sam Darnold, and Caleb Williams). Between Pete Carroll and Lincoln Riley, the Trojans have had their fair share of 'QB whisperers' at head coach, which is why they are the consensus 'QB-U' in the Big Ten. Running Back - Wisconsin There were a fair number of programs to choose from at running back. Some may lean towards USC, Ohio State, or even Penn State to be the Big Ten's 'RBU,' considering their recent success at producing NFL players at the position. However, Wisconsin has had the perfect balance of both college and NFL success, which is why this slot goes to the Badgers. From 2012 to 2019, Wisconsin running backs won the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in college four times. In addition to this recent success, Wisconsin is tied with the Texas Longhorns for the most Doak Walker wins all time, each with 5. Current NFL running backs from Wisconsin include two-time Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor, Braelon Allen, and Dare Ogunbowale. Notable former famous backs include Ron Dayne, James White, Corey Clement, and Melvin Gordon. This list includes multiple Pro Bowlers, Super Bowl champions and players from several eras of Wisconsin football. For those reasons, Wisconsin is our 'RB-U.' Wide Receiver - Ohio State This selection might've been the easiest to make. Ohio State has been a powerhouse for producing top-tier wide receiver talent for the past few seasons, with many of these players being selected early in the first round. Some of these famous Buckeyes include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Terry McLaurin. That is a ton of talent just in the past few drafts, with more still to come. Emeka Egbuka just got drafted in the first round this year and phenom Jeremiah Smith is a projected top-pick in 2027. Ohio State has had five receivers drafted in the first round in just the past four seasons, further proving that the program have been the standard for excellence at the position, with all having success in both college and at the NFL level. Because of this, Ohio State is clearly the Big Ten's 'WR-U.' Tight End - Iowa Iowa isn't known for offensive prowess. However, when the program has been decent offensively, it's all thanks to the tight end position. Some famous former Hawkeye tight ends include Frank Clark, George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, and Noah Fant. Head coach Kirk Ferentz heavily utilizes the position, plus develops the players as both strong blockers and receivers. Iowa might not be an offensive powerhouse, but it continues to produce legitimate stars at the position, earning the 'TE-U' honor. Offensive Line - Ohio State A ton of Big Ten programs fit the title of 'Offensive Line U,' considering the conference is known for hard-nosed, Midwest football. Teams like Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and even Nebraska could be considered for the title. However, Ohio State earns the title for the most consistent program at producing offensive line talent. The Buckeyes have been, and still are, a very run-heavy offense, meaning that winning the battle in the trenches with their offensive lineman is a priority. The Big Ten awards the conference's best offensive lineman each year with the Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. Since 2015, Ohio State players have won the award four times. No other Big Ten program has won the award more than twice (Iowa). There's not a ton of star-studded offensive line names that went to Ohio State, but the program producing so many quality starters earned it the title. Defensive Line - Michigan The Michigan Wolverines had a program renaissance in the early 2020s, making three consecutive College Football Playoff trips, capped off by the 2023 national title. What helped the program return to glory? A strong defensive front. Players like Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, both of whom were first-round picks this year, helped Michigan become a force to be reckoned with defensively by limiting opponent's ability to run the ball. Michigan's defensive line excellence propelled the team to three-straight Big Ten titles and is one of the biggest reasons why it became a national champion. Linebacker - Wisconsin Wisconsin's linebackers in the NFL have been dominant in the 2020s, with 2024 being an especially strong season. Some former Badger linebackers in the league include 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, All-Pro middle linebacker Zack Baun, Pro Bowler Andrew Van Ginkel, Nick Herbig, and TJ Edwards. All of these players were high-level contributors to their team's defenses. All three of Watt, Baun, and Ginkel made the Pro Bowl, with the others receiving votes. Wisconsin's diversity of talent at the position, as well as its depth, earns it the 'Linebacker-U' title. Defensive Back - Illinois Illinois is a little bit of an obscure answer for this position, considering teams like Ohio State are more known for their skilled defensive backs. However, Illinois has become an ideal destination for the position since former Badgers head coach Bret Bielema took the job. Some current NFL players from Illinois include Devon Witherspoon, Nate Hobbes, and Kerby Joseph. All three of these players were drafted in 2021 or later, which just shows how good the Fighting Illini have been at producing NFL-caliber defensive backs in the 2020s. This position was tough to select, but because of the recent success and current trajectory of the Illini program, it felt right to give them the honor of 'Defensive Back-U.' Kicker - Michigan Choosing special teams positions in this list was a little difficult, considering how few kickers end up in the NFL. However, Michigan became the selection just because of its recent success at the position, with Jake Moody being drafted in the third round and Dominic Zvada earning First Team All-American honors. Punter - Iowa This special teams position was an easier selection than kicker. The Iowa Hawkeyes notoriously have a low-scoring offense but still win a ton of games. That is partly due to their history of having very elite punters, players who can set their defenses up well after a poor offensive series. Iowa punter Tory Taylor was chosen in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears and is already one of the better players in the NFL at his position. Not many other programs have produced punters who have been drafted this high, so the Iowa Hawkeyes take the title of 'Punter-U.' Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Miami Herald
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Dolphins select running back Ollie Gordon II with 179th pick. Reaction from analysts
The Dolphins snagged a highly productive running back with their one sixth-round pick on Saturday, drafting Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II, who visited the Dolphins before the draft. Gordon ran for 880 yards last season (4.6 per carry) and scored 13 touchdowns this past season, one year after he led FBS with 21 rushing touchdowns and averaged 6.1 per carry. His workload and production dropped last season. After rushing for 1732 yards on 285 carries in 14 games in 2023, he ran for 880 yards on 190 carries in 12 games last season. The 1732 carries led the Big 12. He averaged a robust 5.4 yards per carry in three college seasons. His one blemish was an August 2024 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The 179th pick, used on Gordon was acquired from Houston, along with a 2026 third-round pick, in exchange for Miami's picks at 116 and Miami's first of three seventh rounders. Some reaction on the Gordon selection: ▪ ESPN's Matt Miller: 'He was a hard guy for me to evaluate because what am I getting? Am I getting 2023 when he was aggressive and violent and making plays downhill? He was a Heisman candidate in 2023. In 2024, he didn't look the same. I didn't see the same urgency from him. Didn't see the same ability to finish some of those inside runs or run away from tacklers. Can they get him locked in and get him back to 2023 because he can be a really physical, punishing, downhill back?' ▪ESPN's Mel Kiper attributed his drop in production last season to the Cowboys' poor offensive line: 'There was no running room at all. He was hitting a wall. You would have needed Barry Sanders back there. Ollie Gordon is not that elusive but the offensive line did nothing to help him.' ▪ ESPN's Louis Riddick: 'We did a game against Kansas State where he really started getting going early, and they went away from the run game. You could tell by his body language on the sideline, he was like 'what is going on here?' He's a rhythm runner, a high volume runner. Once he gets rolling, watch out.' ▪ Lance Zierlein calls him 'a big-workload back with a skill set that requires a physical, downhill run scheme. Gordon is tight-hipped and forced to run linear tracks. He plays with adequate decisiveness and interior vision but lacks the agility to cut sharply or slip tackles in tight quarters. 'When he gets going downhill he becomes a battering ram, slamming through tackles and adding tough yards after contact. He's good in the screen game and could improve his protection in time. His 2024 production fell off through no fault of his own. Gordon is big and physical and could attract Day 2 attention from teams looking to add a bruiser to a two-back system.' ▪ NFL Net's Brian Baldinger: 'They want to get physical. Downhill runner. He's huge. Two years ago, he won Doak Walker award' for the best running back.' ▪ ESPN's Field Yates, on the Dolphins' offseason: 'One of themes was let's self-scout this offseason. What do we know Miami was predicated upon on offense? [They had] a lot of speed. Now it's more toughness.' Gordon ran for 880 yards last season (4.6 per carry) and scored 13
