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Dolphins' Mike McDaniel impressed with Ollie Gordon in start vs. Jaguars: 'It didn't look too big for him'

Against the backdrop of a banged-up running back room, sixth-round rookie Ollie Gordon II has emerged as a potential contributor should the Dolphins need to count on him more than expected early in the season.

Gordon received the starting nod in Miami's 14-6 preseason win over the Jaguars, rushing for 43 yards on eight carries and showing a continued acclimation to the NFL game that could come in handy while the Fins running back room deals with a handful of injuries.

"I think Ollie did a very good job today of mastering the non-on-ball assignments," Mike McDaniel said postgame on Saturday, per team transcript. "I thought he did a better job with that. I thought he competed. For the most part, I think his tracks were good and his assignments were 100%. So it was a good day for a rookie back in terms of getting his feet wet. It didn't look too big for him."

The rookie rising to the occasion has been a theme all preseason. In total, he's had 26 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown, good for 4.8 yards per tote, with another 48 yards on three catches.

Miami's starting offense initially sputtered against Jacksonville, going three-and-out twice to open the game. Given a third opportunity to find some rhythm, Tua Tagovailoa and Co. finally started clicking. Gordon played a pivotal part in that, accumulating roughly a third of the Dolphins' yardage on their first touchdown drive. He took all four of Miami's rushing attempts during the possession, picking up 21 yards and two first downs as the offense went 61 yards on nine plays.

He continued in the game when backup Zach Wilson took over, running hard and showing burst throughout.

Perhaps it should be expected that Gordon's talent would shine through. The 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and an All-American after leading the FBS with 1,732 rushing yards and his conference with 21 rushing TDs, he was once thought to be a slam-dunk early-round candidate.

Gordon instead struggled with inconsistency in his final year at Oklahoma State, and thus fell all the way to the penultimate round of April's draft. The ability is there, though, and McDaniel has seen Gordon tapping into it while dealing with the increased responsibilities of a back at the pro level.

"I think you can tell that he's doing a very intentional job at bridging the gap from the college position of running back to NFL running back," McDaniel said. "There's a lot more responsibilities, both protection and routes, specifically with what we like to do here. And it takes an adjustment that you can tell if it's too big for a guy or not, and it's definitely not too big for him.

"However, the biggest thing with rookies -- and you hear it every year about rookie walls at some point in time -- it's a journey that has to be relentless. So that's the next stage for him in terms of the next couple of weeks before we play a game. You can't take your foot off the gas, or you're quickly humbled."

At one point Saturday, Gordon limped off the field following a carry. Due to both how he's looked and Miami's current situation at running back, Dolphins fans likely waited with bated breath before he returned shortly thereafter.

Starting superstar De'Von Achane has been dealing with a calf issue, and McDaniel termed Jaylen Wright as week to week due to an injury he suffered during Thursday's joint practice with the Jags.

McDaniel noted Achane has not experienced any setbacks. He also turned to praising Gordon rather than confirming or denying when asked if he had done enough to secure the No. 2 backfield job.

Regardless, the rookie certainly appears to be the most talented option over Mike Boone and Aaron Shampklin should Achane or Wright -- or both -- see their injuries linger into the regular season.

The Dolphins open up their 2025 slate against the Colts on Sept. 7.

So far, Gordon has seemingly passed every test.

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