“They’ve got my full commitment and I’m looking forward to being there come late June,” said Sanders, who is on track to graduate this summer.

Stanford running back Barry J. Sanders told The Oklahoman in an exclusive interview he intends to join the Cowboys as a graduate transfer for his final season of eligibility.

His father, Barry Sanders, had arguably the greatest individual season in college football history in 1988 at OSU with 2,850 yards rushing and 44 touchdowns to win the Heisman Trophy.



“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.”

Barry J. Sanders played in 36 games over three seasons with 664 rushing yards and five touchdowns after one redshirt year at Stanford. This fall, he'll have the opportunity to compete for the starting running back job under OSU coach Mike Gundy — his father's former Cowboy quarterback.