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Rest easy, Wisconsin fans. Melvin Gordon will be back.
After seeking input from the NFL draft advisory board, Gordon announced Friday that he will return for his junior season at Wisconsin. The sophomore from Kenosha, Wis., finished the season as a Doak Walker Award semifinalist after racking up 1,466 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
"After talking it over with my family and my coaches, I have decided to come back next year," Gordon said in a release. "I love the University of Wisconsin and feel that there is still a lot of room for growth. Academically, another year in school will help me get closer to completing my degree and on the field I hope to help my team get back the Big Ten championship.
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"With this decision out of the way I can now focus on helping my team prepare for the Capital One Bowl and a great opponent in South Carolina."
With Gordon back in the fold, Wisconsin's backfield will once again be loaded for 2014. James White will graduate following the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day, but impressive true freshman Corey Clement lies in wait. Redshirt freshman Vonte Jackson is also determined to return after three ACL injuries, and a pair of three-star running back commits are already in the fold in Taiwan Deal and Caleb Kinlaw. Of course, Wisconsin also remains in the top four for five-star Oakley, Calif., running back Joe Mixon.
"Melvin is a great player and a great kid and we are very happy with his decision," Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen said in the release. "We tried to be very supportive throughout the decision-making process and relayed all the information he needed to make an informed decision. I'm glad he can now focus on the bowl game and prepare for a great 2014."
