Gordon, Martin Honored on Preseason AP All-America Teams

There have been myriad preseason All-America teams released this month as the college football season encroaches, but one of the major outlets released its teams Monday, which included a pair of Pokes.

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon was named the the AP Preseason All-America First Team, and OSU linebacker Nick Martin was named to the Second Team.

Gordon was one of three Big 12 players on the First Team, joining Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Colorado’s two-way player Travis Hunter. Martin was the only Big 12 player on the Second Team. That means OSU had half of the Big 12 players represented on the two teams.

By now, you might know all the accolades Gordon and Martin have stacked up over the past year, but if not, let’s take another look.

Gordon led the nation in rushing last season with 1,732 yards. He added 21 rushing touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and 330 receiving yards. That led him to being named a consensus All-American for the 2023 season, as he was also named the Doak Walker winner and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Oh, and Gordon is on just about every preseason watch list that applies to him.

Martin played his first season as a starter in 2023 and set quite the high bar. He led the Big 12 in tackles with 140 — the most tackles of any Cowboy since 1984. That included 16 tackles for loss and six sacks. He also added a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last season. Martin’s teammates voted him a season-long captain, and Martin picked up All-Big 12 First Team honors from the coaches and media. Like Gordon, he’s on all the watch lists.

Here is a full look at the AP Preseason All-America Teams:

First Team

Quarterback — Carson Beck, Georgia
Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State; Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Tackles — Will Campbell, LSU; Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

Guards — Donovan Jackson, fourth year, Ohio State; Tate Ratledge, fifth year, Georgia.
Center — Parker Brailsford, Alabama
Tight end — Colston Loveland,  Michigan
Wide receivers — Luther Burden III, Missouri; Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona; Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, Colorado
Kicker — Graham Nicholson, Alabama
Edge — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee; Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
Tackles — Mason Graham,  Michigan; Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
Linebackers — Harold Perkins Jr., LSU; Jay Higgins, Iowa; Barrett Carter, Clemson
Cornerbacks — Will Johnson, Michigan; Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Safeties — Malaki Starks, Georgia; Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Defensive back — Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Punter — Alex Mastromanno, Florida State

Second Team

Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon.
Running backs — TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State; Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Tackles — Ajani Cornelius, Oregon; Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Guards — Tyler Booker, third year, Alabama; Dylan Fairchild, fourth year, Georgia
Center — Cooper Mays, Tennessee
Tight end — Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, Oregon; Tre Harris, Mississippi; Ricky White III, UNLV
All-purpose player — Zachariah Branch, Southern California
Kicker — Andres Borregales, Miami
Edge — Nic Scourton, Texas A&M; Abdul Carter, Penn State
Tackles — Tyleik Williams, Ohio State; Deone Walker, Kentucky
Linebackers — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma; Jason Henderson, Old Dominion; Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
Cornerbacks — Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame; Sebastian Castro, Iowa
Safeties — Dillon Thieneman, Purdue; Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
Defensive back — Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin
Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State