Oklahoma State will not suspend star running back Ollie Gordon II for his recent driving under the influence arrest, coach Mike Gundy announced Tuesday.
“He’s going to play,” Gundy told ESPN on Tuesday. “I’m going to do what we think is best for Oklahoma State football, and I think it’s best for Ollie to play. If there’s any punishment, it’s making him carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”
Gordon apologized for his arrest Monday, and on Tuesday, he faced questions about the incident at the Big 12 media days. Gundy said the decision to take Gordon to Las Vegas for the Big 12 media days was part of the All-American’s punishment.
“I said, ‘You’re not going into hiding. You’re going to face the music. You’re going to have to stand up and talk to people and answer questions. And, hopefully, more than football, you can learn from the situation you’ve been in,’” Gundy said. “Because if not, then we have a real issue.”
Gordon, 20, was arrested by Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers on June 30 after they observed him swerving out of his lane twice and driving 82 mph in a 65 mph zone. He refused a field sobriety test and was arrested on complaints of DUI under 21 years of age, transporting an open container of alcohol, failing to maintain a single lane of traffic and speeding 16-20 mph over the speed limit, according to a police report.
At the Cleveland County jail, Gordon gave a breath sample of .11, which is over the legal limit for an adult 21 and older to operate a vehicle.
Gordon would not elaborate on specifics Tuesday, citing the legal process, per ESPN.
“He’s on a shorter leash right now, unfortunately,” Gundy said. “Because I understand young people, we all make mistakes. If we don’t learn from those, then it’s not really good. We’ve had several conversations. We’ll have more over the next month. I think that he understands how serious that situation was. Hopefully he can learn from it and move forward.”
Oklahoma State’s decision not to suspend Gordon improves his Heisman Trophy chances. He won the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in college football as a sophomore last season when he rushed for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Gordon is a top prospect for the 2025 NFL draft.