Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, August 8, 2013

We?re 21 days from the 2013 football season kicking off. Indiana (Indiana State) and Minnesota (UNLV) get things started for the Big Ten on Thursday, Aug. 29 on BTN/BTN2Go. To help count down the days to kickoff, BTN.com is ranking the top 25 players. Join us as we count it down, from 25-1, every day.

No. 21: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

With Montee Ball and has gaggle of records gone, there is a big void in the Wisconsin backfield. Look for Gordon to assume a big role-along with senior James White. Gordon flashed potential last season as a redshirt freshman, capping the season with nine carries for 51 yards in the Rose Bowl and averaging 10 yards per carry for the year. But the 6-1, 203-pounder was at his full-throttle best in the Big Ten title game, running for a career-high 216 yards on just nine totes with a touchdown. Gordon has the ability to run inside or outside-and he has the speed to go the distance each time he touches the ball.

View Gordon's career stats:

Year Team G Rush Yds Yd/Rush TDs Rec Yds Yd/Rec TDs
2011 Wisc 4 20 98 4.9 1 0 0 0
2012 Wisc 13 62 621 10.0 3 2 65 32.5 1
Career 17 82 719 8.8 4 2 65 32.5 1

BTN.com?s top 25 players of 2013
1.
Aug. 28
2.
Aug. 27
3.
Aug. 26
4.
Aug. 25
5.
Aug. 24
6.
Aug. 23
7.
Aug. 22
8.
Aug. 21
9.
Aug. 20
10.
Aug. 19
11.
Aug. 18
12.
Aug. 17
13.
Aug. 16
14.
Aug. 15
15.
Aug. 14
16.
Aug. 13
17.
Aug. 12
18.
Aug. 11
19.
Aug. 10
20.
Aug. 9
21.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
22.
Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
23.
Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
24. James White, RB, Wisconsin
25.
Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa