Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Predicting the Top 10 candidates for 2024

Remember when we mentioned that all but two of the Top 10 in voting for the 2023 Heisman Trophy are likely gone to the NFL next year? One of the two outliers in that is true sophomore Ollie Gordon II, who not only finished seventh in Heisman voting as he led the way for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but he also won Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year as well.

What's remarkable about that feat for Gordon is that he barely played a role in the Mike Gundy offense early in the year. Over the first three games of the year for the Pokes, Gordon amassed a paltry 25 touches in total. He only had fewer than 20 touches once in the in any of the nine remaining regular season games. And you saw why pretty clearly.

Even with that start where he just simply (and inexplicably) wasn't involved in the offense, Gordon exploded. He ended up finishing the year with 1,614 yards on 258 carries with 20 touchdowns while also quietly garnering 37 receptions for 326 yards and another score.

While there were certainly games in which Gordon struggled even when his workload increased, most notably getting almost wholly negated as a factor in the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas, he's immensely talented. There should be no question going into the 2024 season that he's the focal point of the Oklahoma State offense and, with a full 12-13 games of him being that, his production either matching what he did in 2023 or improving upon it could land him firmly in the Heisman race.