Is Ollie Gordon II related to Melvin Gordon III? Exploring potential relationship between the football stars

Ollie Gordon II and Melvin Gordon III are running backs who have made giant strides in the college football landscape. Both players have been named winners of the Doak Campbell Award, a Unanimous All-American and a Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Considering their similar last names, there have been questions about a potential biological link between Ollie and Melvin among fans. However, the two outstanding running backs are not biologically related and have different family backgrounds.

Ollie Gordon was born and brought up in Fort Worth, Texas, where he developed his talent as a running back and became a top prospect from the state. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, an environment that allowed him to thrive in football.

Nonetheless, they share a similar touch of greatness on the gridiron at the collegiate level. Melvin recorded 2,587 rushing yards in his final season at Wisconsin, the second-most in FBS history, behind Barry Sanders. Ollie will hope to achieve a similar feat this season.

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Ollie Gordon garnering rival coaches' praises

A lot is expected from Ollie Gordon II this season following his superb performances in 2023. He rushed for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and is hoping to do better in 2024.

His 2023 performance drew the attention of coaches, especially in the Big 12. He has earned the respect of many of them who have had good things to say about Gordon during the offseason. Notable among them is Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham.

“He was great when we watched a little bit of film on him, and he was great when we played him,” Dillingham said about Gordon during Big 12 media days. “And the challenging thing is he’s a workhorse.”

“He’s big. He’s strong. And he just keeps going. He just keeps going. They can keep giving him the ball. And I think that’s challenging. And he wears on you throughout a football game. And I think that’s the philosophy Coach Gundy has built there.”

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Can Ollie Gordon beat Melvin Gordon's rushing record in 2024?

Melvin Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards in 343 carries during the 2014 college football season at Wisconsin, adding 29 touchdowns, which came after he had rushed for 1,609 yards in the season before.

Following a 1,732 rushing-yard performance in the 2023 season, the challenge for Ollie Gordon is to chase Melvin’s record. Playing in a familiar Oklahoma State offense, he could get that done.

Ollie rushed for 126 yards in the first game against South Dakota. He will need to improve on that in subsequent games to be on track for Melvin's record or even Barry Sanders’ mark of 2,628 yards set in 1998.