Gordon is the prototypical home-run hitter at the position. He is a speed demon (Gordon reportedly clocks 40-yard dash times in the low-to-mid 4.4-second range) with remarkable explosiveness and instant acceleration. Gordon quickly gets to top gear in the open field, but appears to have an extra burst when he needs to pull away from defenders on long runs. This is readily apparent when Gordon takes a Fly-Sweep heading to the perimeter and hits the turbo button turning the corner. He simply has another gear that few defenders in the Big Ten can match, resulting in a number of big runs on perimeter plays since he cracked the rotation in 2012. With Gordon entering the season regarded as the premier home-run rusher in college football on the strength of a career 8.1 yards-per-carry average, it's hard to question his speed, burst or explosiveness as a perimeter runner.