Former four-star running back recruit Barry J. Sanders, son of Hall of Fame running back and Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders, confirmed in an interview with The Oklahoman that he is indeed headed to Oklahoma State as a graduate transfer after spending the previous three seasons at Stanford.
Sanders confirmed last month that he was intending to transfer after he was released from his scholarship. It was a move that made sense for a couple of reasons, the biggest one being Stanford already having Heisman finalist and running back Christian McCaffrey on the roster. Sanders only had 672 rush yards and five touchdowns during his time at Stanford, so it only made sense for him to move on so he could close out his college career on a high note and increase his chances of having a fruitful NFL future.
But Sanders’ move to Oklahoma State is an interesting one, primarily because his father played there and also won a Heisman Trophy, back in 1988. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill but as the junior Sanders said in his interview, father and son both discussed the decision.
“His message to me was to keep an open mind,” Sanders said. “I think that he would have wanted me to look at more schools. He definitely didn’t want me to make a decision without considering other options. What I told him was that this was something I’ve been thinking about for some time. I just knew this was the right decision and the right fit for a variety of different reasons. So when I kind of explained my reasons behind it, he was pretty comfortable with it and he’s just as excited as I am.”
Needless to say, the Cowboys are going to be a team to watch in the Big 12 next year for two reasons. First, to see if they can make a run at a conference championship again, and second to see if great rushing abilities run in the family!
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
