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Can Ollie Gordon II win 2024 Heisman Trophy? 5 key questions for Oklahoma State football

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Can Ollie Gordon II win 2024 Heisman Trophy? 5 key questions for Oklahoma State football


STILLWATER — The 2024 college football season approaches with wide-ranging changes across the sport.

But in the locker room of Boone Pickens Stadium, familiarity abounds.

Oklahoma State, ranked No. 18 in the preseason, returns roughly 20 starters from a team that went 10-4 and reached the Big 12 Championship Game.

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The Cowboys still have the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, Ollie Gordon II, at running back, and one of the most experienced quarterbacks in all of college football with seventh-year senior Alan Bowman.

The offensive line is full of veterans and the receiver group is loaded with playmakers. The defense has its share of stars, though it is less established than the offense.

Still, in the second year under defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo, growth is expected on that side of the ball.

With some new challengers atop the Big 12 Conference, the Cowboys enter the season with sights set on a third title game appearance in a four-year span. But what will it take to get there?

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Here are five key questions to the season for Oklahoma State football:

More: Which Oklahoma State football game is most important this season?

Can running back Ollie Gordon II contend for the Heisman Trophy?

You’ll often hear the Heisman referred to as a quarterback award these days, and unfortunately, that’s mostly true. Only four times in the 2000s has the award gone to another position — three running backs and a receiver.

So that means a lot of what Gordon needs to be considered a legitimate contender for the trophy is out of his hands. If he produces at a level like he did last year (he averaged 147.5 yards per game after becoming the featured back in Week 4) Gordon will have the numbers to garner consideration. 

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But jumping into the top four, or threatening for the honor, will take team success. Gordon earned some votes last year on a 10-4 squad, but if he has the same numbers on a Big 12 title team that is destined for the playoff when the voting wraps up, his profile skyrockets.

Gordon has all the other tools needed to be considered, from his knack for highlight-reel plays to his magnetic personality in the media spotlight. 

More: Why Oklahoma State football QB Alan Bowman’s mustache is more than fun facial hair choice

Where can quarterback Alan Bowman improve in his seventh year of college football?

While his detractors like to point at his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 15-to-14, that stat is only half-meaningful. Bowman had a lot of long passes that moved the Cowboys into the red zone, but were followed by touchdown runs from Gordon.

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So the touchdown total doesn’t become bothersome unless the Cowboys are failing to score. And Bowman averaged over 293 yards per game after being named the full-time quarterback in Week 4. 

The only real area of concern is the 14 picks. That’s the number that must improve for OSU to maximize its potential. With another offseason behind him, and another preseason camp to build on, Bowman’s connection with his wideouts should be even stronger, which should help minimize his interceptions. 

How much better will the defense be?

Statistically, the only direction to go is up. The Cowboys ranked outside the top 85 nationally in essentially every key stat category last year, and outside the top 100 in some, like passing yards allowed (123rd out of 130 teams). The context that is missing from OSU’s statistical performance is the in-game changes that led to major turnarounds in games, like the wins over Kansas, Houston and BYU. 

That shows the ability in Nardo to adjust to what he’s seeing on the field. Additionally, as he moves into his second season at the Division I level, Nardo is showing he can mold his 3-3-5 defense to fit the talent of his players. The adjustments made to the scheme in spring will help the Cowboys take steps forward in some key areas of difficulty.

More: Which Oklahoma State football freshmen to watch in 2024 preseason camp

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What is the biggest key to defensive improvement?

It all starts with the pass rush. That’s why you’re going to see Collin Oliver used much more frequently as an edge rusher (more on that in the next question), because he’s the team’s most dangerous player in that situation. Gannon transfer Obi Ezeigbo has shown a quick first step off the line as well, and the veteran core of the defensive line has shown development with players like Jaleel Johnson and DeSean Brown working toward bigger roles.

The pass rush had been such a strong point for OSU’s defense in the 2021-23 seasons that its dropoff last year was a bit of a surprise. Not getting the pressure the Cowboys needed on the quarterback limited their big-play potential and left the defensive backs in tenuous situations that led to deep throws and big pass yardage. 

If the pass rush is improved this season, the defense will be notably better as a whole.

How different will the roles of Kendal Daniels and Collin Oliver be in this defense?

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Let’s start with Oliver, who is still going to look like a linebacker at times, but will frequently be a standup defensive end, coming off the edge to use his speed off the line — which is his greatest weapon. Oliver has bulked back up to about 245 pounds, which is a weight he feels he can operate with good speed and agility on both sides of his hybrid role.

Daniels’ role at linebacker is harder to project, because he hasn’t really operated in that manner during games. While he’s still listed as a safety on the roster, Daniels says he’s a linebacker now, and the 6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt junior has shown the physicality necessary for playing in the box, rushing the passer and taking on offensive linemen on an every-snap basis.

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.





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‘I cannot stay silent’ Oklahoma City moves to dismiss former attorneys claims seized cash

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‘I cannot stay silent’ Oklahoma City moves to dismiss former attorneys claims seized cash


A legal fight is escalating between former Oklahoma City municipal attorney Orval Jones and the city over how the Oklahoma City Police Department handled cash seized during arrests.

The city has filed a motion asking a judge to strike Jones’ claims, arguing he has no legal standing and calling the criminal-case process a “restitution scheme.”

Jones says he spent eight years “cleaning up” the OKCPD property return process from 2017 to March 2025 until he resigned “due to duress” in September.

He filed an affidavit claiming OKCPD seized more than $400,000 in cash from arrests and deposited it into the city’s bank account.

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In his audit, Jones made lists of seized cash amounts, including amounts under $250, from $250 up to $500, and more than $500.

In its motion, the city argues Jones is no longer an attorney for the city or the district attorney’s office, is not an owner of any of the property “properly disposed of,” and has not suffered an injury.

The city also alleges Jones filed his motion with “half-truths” and without support or proof.

Jones responded in a rebuttal affidavit that the issue involves injury to the state, the county, other counties, crime victims, and property owners who received no notice. Jones said, “I had a professional duty to tell the court that these filings were legally defective and potentially fraudulent. I cannot stay silent.”

In an email in April 2025, OKCPD Chief Ron Bacy said the department had 288,000 overdue property and currency claims needing a disposition update, and that many investigators assigned to those cases are no longer employed with the department. Bacy said the department developed programs to assist the Property Management Unit.

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Court documents show more than 350,000 pieces of property held in the Property Management Unit, more than $2.5 million in the unit’s bank account, and that 80% of the property and money are due for disposition.

If a judge agrees with Jones, the funds may be returned to the owners.

If the judge agrees with the city, the case will be dropped.

The city and OKCPD had not responded to open records requests submitted Feb. 10.

When asked whether the city conducted or requested an internal review into the allegations, the city said it does not comment on pending litigation.

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A hearing has been set later this month.



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Oklahoma AG Drummond backs Trump EPA bid to rescind 2009 greenhouse gas finding

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Oklahoma AG Drummond backs Trump EPA bid to rescind 2009 greenhouse gas finding


Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is seeking to join a federal court fight over the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to roll back a key climate change finding that has underpinned vehicle emissions regulations for more than a decade.

Drummond filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 9, 2026, backing the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate what his office called “radical regulations of carbon emissions.”

The dispute centers on the EPA’s decision to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding.

In a Final Rule issued earlier this year, the EPA concluded it lacked statutory authority to establish the Endangerment Finding, which had been used to justify vehicle emission restrictions under the Clean Air Act.

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Drummond joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general seeking to support the EPA after “a gaggle of special-interest groups” petitioned the D.C. Circuit to review the Final Rule.

“Thankfully, the Trump Administration is correcting the outrageous overreach that was the hallmark of the Obama-Biden Administration,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma’s energy industry, and that of our nation, should not be hobbled by unnecessary regulations born from a radical climate agenda. A panoply of would-be vehicle emission standards would be disastrous for a robust oil and gas industry, adversely impact our economy, hurt the reliability of our electrical grids and undermine national security.”

Drummond’s office said that since taking office he has filed more than 25 legal actions opposing environmental regulations, including tailpipe emission standards and efforts aimed at eliminating gas-powered vehicles.

In addition to Oklahoma, the states joining the motion to intervene are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.



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Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense

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Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense


Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 college football season is still months away from kicking off, but coaches are already hitting the College football Recruiting trail for players in the class of 2027. Oklahoma has already landed some talented players.

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Now, they have added another solid player, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.

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Athlete Greydon Howell, rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, has committed to Oklahoma. Howell is from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and chose to go to the Sooners over Oklahoma State, Miami, Penn State, Stanford, and Arkansas. He visited Oklahoma over the weekend, attending a recruiting event.

The 4-star recruit has been a dominant force at his high school in the sports landscape. He plays football, basketball, baseball, and track. This past season, he played quarterback for his team, passing for 2,817 yards with 27 scores, while adding 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. He is expected to play wide receiver for the Sooners.

Rivals ranks him as the 13th best athlete in the nation, and 425th overall. Still, other ranking services have him lower. 247Sports has Howell ranked as a three-star player and the 25th best athlete in the nation.

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Regardless, it is another major signing for Brent Venables and the Sooners. They have 19 commitments so far, and have the number one-ranked class for 2027 according to 247Sports. They have been great at keeping in-state guys at Oklahoma. Kaeden Penny is the top player in the state for the class of 2027, and he is going to Oklahoma. Cooper Hackett is ranked third in the state and is also a future Sooner.

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The Sooners open their 2026 campaign on September 5 against Utep.

Oklahoma Sooners land 4-star safety over Florida, Georgia

Oklahoma lands top tight end over Kentucky, Notre Dame



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