If those in the Big 12 thought they’d seen the last of Barry Sanders, they may want to think again. Maybe. Possibly
The son of the Oklahoma State legend and 1988 Heisman winner, Barry J. Sanders, is currently a running back at Stanford. However, there have been rumblings of late that the younger Sanders may be looking to move on as a graduate transfer and finish his collegiate playing career elsewhere.
Specifically, speculation has Sanders moving from The Farm to his dad’s alma mater. Connecting Sanders to the Cowboys has gotten so strong that OSU head coach Mike Gundy somewhat addressed the issue, although he’s stressed that there has been no “direct contact” with either the father or the son.
“I haven’t had any direct contact with Jr. nor with Barry,” Gundy said according to The Oklahoman‘s Kyle Fredrickson. “We have to treat them exactly like a high school recruit. We can’t comment on them. The players that have come here — Patmon and Hunter and those guys — they finish, they graduate, they get a release, and then we’re able to have contact with them.
“It has been a topic, because I’ve had multiple compliance officers from our university call and say, ‘You can’t have contact with him.’ Of course I say, ‘I understand that.’ We hear the same information that you do.”
(Writer’s note: expect those very same compliance officers to self-report a minor violation to the NCAA for Gundy commenting on a player he said he can’t comment on.)
With Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey -- the player who broke the elder Sanders’ single-season all-purpose yardage mark -- being just a sophomore and returning for at least one more season, he would likely, once again, be the focal point of the Cardinal offense in 2016 -- especially with a new starting quarterback in tow. Any move on Sanders’ part would likely be tied to the opportunity for more playing time.
Should Sanders leave for the Cowboys, or any other FBS team for that matter, he would be eligible to play immediately in 2016, provided, of course, he graduates and enrolls in a grad program at OSU not offered at Stanford.
Sanders was a four-star member of the Cardinal’s 2012 recruiting class, rated as the No. 9 running back in the country and the No. 2 player at any position in the state of Oklahoma. He chose Stanford over, among others, Alabama and the Big 12 OSU.
The last three seasons, Sanders has rushed for 670 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He’s also caught 12 passes for 89 yards and averaged 9.5 yards on 10 punt returns.
