Jeff Hanisch USA Today Sports Images
The 2014 College Football regular season has come and gone. All of the bowl matchups are set, and it’s time to award the top performers for their efforts this season.
When it came to the 2014 Doak Walker Award, there was really only one choice — Melvin Gordon.
The Wisconsin junior was obviously the best at his position, running for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns. While he may ultimately fall short of Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record (2,628), Gordon’s 2014 season has still been one of the most memorable for RBs in a long time. He’s easily been one of the top five players to watch this season, and is clearly deserving of his status as a Heisman trophy finalist.
Although Gordon is a longshot to take home the Heisman, as Marcus Mariota seemingly has it locked up, the Wisconsin RB should break a recent trend by being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft this spring. Believe it or not, a RB hasn’t gone in the first round since 2012.
The shift in RB value is clearly a product of today’s pass-happy NFL, as big bruising backs are becoming a thing of the past. The modern day NFL is all about the dual-threat back.
Gordon has some work to do in the pass-catching department, but he has potential to become a regular threat out of the backfield. He’ll need to land in the right situation, but it’s not out of the question to think he could develop into a player like Jamaal Charles in a year or two.
For now, Gordon should bask in the glory of officially being recognized as the nation’s top RB.
