Ollie Gordon II, Tyquan Thornton, and Adin Huntington are the AFC’s Week 4 Secret Superstars

| Getty Images Superstars may lead the discussion when it comes to success in the NFL, but more often than not, it’s the guys you barely know who will make the plays needed when they’re needed. Such players can be underrated for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps they’re playing in a smaller market, and the media isn’t appropriately trumpeting their exploits. Maybe they’re hidden in a depth chart behind bigger names who may not be doing as much. Or, it’s always possible that a wayward coach hasn’t quite figured out that one guy needs elevation to bring better results to the team. Whatever the reason, we at SB Nation always like to bring the underrated names to you with the offseason Hidden Gems and in-season Secret Superstars series. You can also catch up on the AFC and NFC Secret Superstars for the 2026 season right here. Here are our AFC Secret Superstars for Week 4 of the 2026 regular season. And if you haven’t yet, download the new SB Nation app, so you can better read our stuff and join the conversation wherever you are! Ollie Gordon II, RB, Miami Dolphins When the Dolphins lost running back De’Von Achane for the remainder of the season to a torn ACL in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, that was yet another hit to a team that is already “intelligently tanking” with far more dead salary cap space to clear ($184,010,686) than money spent on the top 51 on the roster ($105,443,071). The Dolphins signed Achane to a new four-year, $64 million contract extension with $27.378 million guaranteed this offseason — one of the very few major expenditures allowed — so of course, he was able to enjoy it for a couple of regular season games before everything went south. Some guys (and teams) have all the luck. However, in the Dolphins’ 15-10 Sunday loss to the Minnesota Vikings and former head coach Brian Flores calling the NFL’s most insanely effective defense, backup Ollie Gordon announced his presence with extreme authority. The 2025 sixth-round draft pick from Oklahoma State is more of a boom-and-crash guy at 6’2” and 225 pounds as opposed to Achane’s scatback style, but it all worked against a Vikings defense that came into Week 4 having allowed the third-lowest EPA per rush (-0.25), the fifth-lowest rushing success rate (32.9%), the fifth-lowest yards per carry (3.52, tied with the Dolphins, of all teams), and the seventh-lowest yards after contact per carry (2.48, tied with the Chicago Bears). One wouldn’t expect Gordon, who had never put up more than 46 rushing yards in an NFL game, and ran 17 times for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 3 after Achane’s injury, to do what he did against the Vikings. Gordon ran the ball nine times for 100 yards even with another touchdown, averaging 11.11 yards and 8.89 yards after contact per carry, as well as a rushing success rate of 44.4%, and an EPA per rush of +0.68. In concert with an offensive line that was intent on blowing open gaps for his benefit, Gordon looked every bit a starting power/sustaining back with some surprising juice. Ollie Gordon II of the @MiamiDolphins going OFF against the NFL's most dangerous defense. 11.11 yards and 8.89 yards after contact per carry! pic.twitter.com/7FiAMCYlqB — Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 5, 2026 “I thought Ollie did a really nice job,” Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said postgame. “I thought we were able to run the ball. We had some big runs, but I thought Ollie stepped up and he did a really nice job. Clearly, we miss [Achane]. I miss him right now, but that’s where we’re at. And I told those guys last night in talking in front of the team, I think belief is important. And it was important for them to know that I believe in Ollie… and that’s just how we’re going to go. I think this team is starting to believe. I think these losses are hard. I think we’re growing, I do. I know our process is right, and we’re going to continue to get better.” It’s tough when every positive step forward has to come with all these caveats, but Ollie Gordon did help that belief on Sunday to an unexpected degree. Tyquan Thornton, WR, Kansas City Chiefs Speaking of caveats… it’s brutal that fifth-receiver Tyquan Thornton had the game of his life in Kansas City’s 30-27 squeaker of a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, because he also suffered a dislocated ankle on his biggest play of the day. Selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Baylor, Thornton was released by his first team on November 16, 2024, and the Chiefs signed him to their practice squad three days later. Over time, Thornton proved himself enough to bag a two-year, $11 million contract with $7.4 million guaranteed this past March, and he was well on his way to earning all of that scratch. At 6’2” and 185 pounds, Thornton is more of a speed/getaway receiver than a contested catch guy, but he was speedy enough against the Raiders’ surprisingly strong defense. He bent that defense for five catches on eight targets for a career-best 111 yards, and a career-best two touchdowns. His day included catches of 42 and 55 yards, and the gruesome injury happened on the 55-yarder with 3:55 left in the game that set up Kenneth Walker’s game-winning touchdown run. Thornton’s ankle was put back in place by doctors (OUCH), and he’ll obviously be out for a while — early estimates are 3-4 months. This is one reason the Chiefs are considering a Tyreek Hill reunion, because they need that downfield juice from somebody. And Thornton was providing it like never before. It's a real shame that Tyquan Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle on his final catch against the Raiders, because he had a career day overall. Explosive plays and touchdowns galore. @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/oZCJP19KaO — Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 5, 2026 “That’s a rough one when you see your teammates, especially a guy [in] Tyquan who’s a great father, great husband, and just his attitude,” Andy Reid said postgame. “I mean, you guys deal with him, you know his attitude is unbelievable. He’s great for the team, and kind of a leader of that group there. For that to happen, especially with the year he’s having — he had a phenomenal year to this point, and a great play to boot on top of that. It’s a tough one to see for all the guys.” A tough one indeed, Hopefully, Thornton can play some more this season. Adin Huntington, DL, Cleveland Browns The bad news for the Cleveland Browns’ defense in their 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday was that defensive lineman Mason Graham, who had been just about unblockable this season, suffered an MCL and ankle sprain, and he’ll be out for a while. The relatively good news is that Mike Rutenberg’s defense has some dudes ready to step up on the interior. Mike Hall Jr. and Maliek Collins did so, and so did Adin Huntington, the 2025 undrafted free agent from Tulane, who was overlooked in the draft process because he was seen as a “tweener” at 6’1” and 281 pounds. Whatever his pre-draft status may have been, Huntington threw it all to the side against the Steelers’ offensive line. In a career-high 48 snaps, he had a sack, six total pressures, and several moves that put Steelers left tackle Troy Fautanu and left guard Mason McCormick in some very tough spots. To put it all into perspective: When super-edge Jared Verse faced Fautanu on 19 pass-rush reps, he got exactly one quarterback pressure out of it. When Huntington faced Fautanu on 13 pass-rush reps, the result was the sack and four of his total pressures. Not a bad return rate. .@Browns second-year UDFA DL Adin Huntington vs. the @Steelers on Thursday night: Two sacks (one called back), and five total pressures in 35 pass-rushing snaps. Collected checks from Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick. Not bad for an alleged "tweener!" pic.twitter.com/y97hkhRO4o — Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 3, 2026 Huntington went from afterthought to essential player in a hurry, and he’s grateful for the opportunity. “A year ago, [it] was just kind of, you know, come out here and just play my game and play football and really just do whatever I had to do to make the team,” Huntington said a month ago. “Not saying that wasn’t really my goal and objective this year, but I came in with a little bit more goals and a plan and really just continuing to be a better football player and just continue to grow. Because, you know, I don’t want to stay stagnant. I don’t want to be a one-hit UDFA wonder. Just continue to grow into the player I want to be, and who they expect me to be, so that’s what I’m here to do.” In Cleveland’s lively defensive fronts, this could be just the beginning for Mr. Huntington.

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