Barry Sanders Jr. is not his dad and that's fine

Barry Sanders Jr. jumped into the spotlight after he transferred from Stanford to his father’s alma mater. He might not be his dad but he’s what the Oklahoma State Cowboys need.

Oklahoma State has another Barry Sanders in the backfield for the first time in almost 30 years. Barry Sanders Jr. enters Stillwater with a lot of hype and a massive shadow to live in. However, he’s not his dad, but that doesn’t mean he can’t contribute for the Cowboys.

The expectations and hype were only amplified by Sanders’ new head coach at Big 12 Media Day.

“In my opinion, his dad was the greatest running back in college football, maybe ever,” Gundy said, via NFL.com. “To have (his son) in our program at this point in his career, I think is great for Oklahoma State football”

Gundy’s words are absolutely true from a numbers standpoint. Barry Sanders Sr. rushed for a NCAA single-season record 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns on 7.6 yards per carry when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1988. Most players don’t see those numbers in a career.

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People need to pump the breaks with the hype surrounding his son. But, he can be an effective player for the Cowboys this season.

In the three seasons he saw action at Stanford, he played well, but couldn’t get out of a loaded backfield where Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey starred. Sanders rushed for 672 yards and five touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. His 5-foot-10, 198-pound frame makes him a solidly built back. He’s not too small or too big which is perfect for Okie State.

He doesn’t have all-world speed, but his speed is underestimated. He had two rushes of 65 yards each last season. The Oklahoma State offense needs his speed in the open field. Last year, the running game averaged just 126.5 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry.

The team’s returning rusher Chris Carson could be the thunder to Sanders lightning. He’s a bigger back at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds. He rushed for 517 yards and four touchdowns but at just 3.9 yards per carry, that’s not enough.

must read: Big 12 Football: 50 best players of all-time

Carson and Sanders will need to be better in the red zone. Last year, the offense used quarterback J.W. Walsh and it was effective. He managed to reach the end zone 13 times alone. Now, the production trickles down to Sanders and Carson.

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Barry Sanders Jr. is not his dad and that’s fine

By Collin Wieder | Jul 20, 2016

Barry Sanders Jr. jumped into the spotlight after he transferred from Stanford to his father’s alma mater. He might not be his dad but he’s what the Oklahoma State Cowboys need.