Could A.J. Green be lightning to Ollie Gordon's thunder for Oklahoma State football?

STILLWATER — Forgive Jeremy Smith if he gets a little nostalgic when talking about A.J. Green’s future with the Oklahoma State football team.

Smith has known Green for eight years, playing the role of coach and mentor since the young player was in junior high in the Tulsa Union district, where Smith was a high school assistant coach.

And now, when Smith looks at Oklahoma State’s newest running back, his mind reverts to his own Cowboy career.

“I wanna see thunder and lightning, and I wanna see another great duo,” said Smith, who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards in his OSU career from 2009-13. “I’m not a cocky guy or anything like that, but the last great duo that I’ve seen at OSU, just guys being two backs who complement each other, was me and Joe Randle back in 2011.”

That season, Randle rushed for 1,214 yards and 24 touchdowns, while Smith’s change-of-pace style contributed 646 yards (7.1 per carry) and nine touchdowns.

More: Why coaches who know Paul Randolph call him a 'home run hire' for Oklahoma State football

Looking to the fall of 2024, Oklahoma State returns college football’s best running back. Ollie Gordon II led the nation in rushing yards and won the Doak Walker Award as a sophomore, and will be the focal point of an offense that returns nearly every starter.

But the Cowboys needed a veteran presence behind Gordon, and landed Green out of the transfer portal after he left Arkansas. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Green rushed for 951 yards and six touchdowns on 201 carries over three seasons with the Razorbacks.

Green, who was a highly coveted prospect when he came out of Tulsa Union in 2021, will be a senior and has been through the grind of the Southeastern Conference, so he brings immediate value to a running back room that includes Gordon and redshirt freshmen Sesi Vailahi. Incoming freshmen Rodney Fields Jr. and Jaden Allen-Hendrix are set to join the program in June.

Green, of course, knows the risk in joining a program with a dominant featured back like Gordon, who after overtaking the No. 1 role averaged 21.5 carries per game in the last 11 games.

While that carry average might not sound crazy, Gordon accounted for 78.5% of running back carries over that span.

So, why would Green — a proven veteran who could be a starter at many Division I programs — transfer to OSU to be Gordon’s backup?

Smith sees a couple of reasons.

More: Why transfer tight end Tyler Foster sees 'really promising' opportunity at Oklahoma State

“In reality, he always wanted to go to Oklahoma State,” said Smith, who has remained in regular contact with Green throughout his Arkansas career and the transfer process. “You want to go somewhere where you truly want to be. You’re gonna be happy, which allows you to work 1,000 times harder, because now, you’re at the place you truly wanted to go.”

That desire was a factor for Green, who had initially committed to Tulsa in December, but reconsidered when OSU entered the picture.

Beyond that, Green has the chance to be part of a strong team that returns nearly all of its starters coming off a 10-win season and appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game. And he isn’t afraid to work for his playing time.

“It’s all competition to him,” Smith said. “He shared a backfield in high school. He shared a backfield at Arkansas. He’s not afraid of that. He’s used to competing, and to be honest, that’s one of his greatest qualities. He understands that iron sharpens iron.”

Jaden Nixon served in the No. 2 role behind Gordon this past season and had success, finishing with 320 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 62 total touches. But he entered the transfer portal and left the Cowboys with almost no experience behind Gordon.

Green is a bigger back than the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Nixon, which will help Green handle the downhill rushing style of the current Cowboy offense. He has receiving capabilities similar to Nixon and understands pass blocking concepts, so he can play in any situation.

More: Oklahoma State basketball holds off West Virginia for first win in Big 12 play

“Being a running back in today’s age, you can’t do this stuff alone,” Smith said. “Ollie getting 30-some carries is gonna be taxing on his body with everything else he has to do, being a receiver, being a blocker, being a complete back. You need someone to come in and complement you.”

While Green’s ceiling is limited by Gordon’s presence, his value to the team could turn out to be far greater than his statistical production.

And Smith’s mind still drifts back to his role on the 2011 team.

“With the team they have coming back, and looking for that change-of-pace back — which I’m hoping it’s A.J. and I really do believe it will be A.J. — I’m ready to see that duo again,” Smith said.

“With A.J., you don’t have to change anything up. It’s just about bringing in the right personnel that fits what you’re trying to do, and I think they 100% just did that.”

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.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football RB room strong with A.J. Green, Ollie Gordon