Who will back up Oklahoma State football RB Ollie Gordon? Sesi Vailahi awaits opportunity

STILLWATER — Through the first 12 games of last season, Sesi Vailahi prepared like he was going to play, but never expected it.

As Oklahoma State’s fourth-string running back, he knew his time would only come in a massive blowout.

So the freshman watched and waited.

Then, as the Cowboys prepared for the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas, attrition in the running back room elevated Vailahi to second string behind superstar Ollie Gordon II .

And though Vailahi grew up in Utah, getting the chance to play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, held a special significance.

“The Dallas Cowboys are my favorite NFL team, so it was like, if I go in this game and play in this stadium, I don’t care. Just put me out there,” Vailahi said. “Because of the situation, (running backs coach John Wozniak) told me, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go in this game. I need you to be ready.’”

In all, Vailahi appeared in three games as a running back, producing 39 yards on eight total touches, getting valuable experience while maintaining his redshirt status.

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But his days of not expecting to play can be forgotten.

As the 18th-ranked Cowboys enter their season opener against FCS No. 1 South Dakota State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium , Vailahi is in a primary backup role to Gordon.

And though Gordon remains the star of the show, OSU coach Mike Gundy also has stressed throughout August his desire to take some of the load off the back of the reigning Doak Walker Award winner.

“We’re in decent shape now with some experience so that should allow us to protect him for us and protect him for the NFL,” Gundy said. “It would be great if we could keep him to that 20-carry mark. If we need him to carry 30 to win, he’s going to carry 30 to win.”

Vailahi and Indiana transfer Trent Howland will share backup duties, and while Howland brings his own unique characteristics as a 6-foot-3, 240-pound bruiser, Vailahi has shown the ability to be a shifty, quick back with viability as a pass catcher.

In the 14 months since he arrived at OSU, the 5-foot-9 Vailahi has added roughly 10 pounds of muscle while also improving his speed significantly.

“He’s dropped his 40 time five-tenths since he’s been here,” Gundy said. “He was a baby last year. He’s grown up a little bit, he’s shown some signs of maturity. He has good vision.”

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Vailahi was a late addition to the 2023 recruiting class, committing just before the February signing period. He arrived on campus in June 2023 and was immediately put on a crash course to learn the offense and develop into a player who could be trusted on the field in a big game.

Without his opportunities last year — particularly at JerryWorld — Vailahi might not be quite so confident in his ability to handle his expanding role.

“The learning experience from last year to this year, I’ve become more comfortable,” he said. “The game has definitely slowed. The playbook, pass protection, all that is way more ingrained in me now.”

To his teammates, that increased comfort shows.

“You can tell Sesi is a more confident runner,” Gordon said. “He’s getting more into his game, finding his way. We all gotta find our way we do things and I feel like he’s finding it. He’s there.”

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.

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No. 18 OSU vs. South Dakota State

KICKOFF: 1 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Who will back up Oklahoma State football RB Ollie Gordon? Sesi Vailahi awaits opportunity