The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced today that Clemson running back Travis Etienne has been named to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award. The full watch list and additional information from the PwC SMU Athletic Forum are included below.
DALLAS – The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released today the preseason candidates for the 2019 Doak Walker Award. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back.
2018 Doak Walker Award recipient Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin) leads the list of preseason candidates. Taylor, the nation’s leading rusher last season, rushed for 2,194 yards in his sophomore campaign. Doak Walker Award finalist Travis Etienne (Clemson), who average over eight yards per carry last season, is also featured. Other candidates of note include 2018 Doak Walker Award semifinalists Eno Benjamin (Arizona State), AJ Dillion (Boston College) and J.J. Taylor (Arizona).
University athletic departments nominate candidates for the award and can continue to do so through October. The complete list of candidates is below.
Cam Akers (Jr.), Florida StateDarius Anderson (Sr.), TCUJafar Armstrong (Jr.), Notre DameLaVante Bellamy (Sr.), Western MichiganEno Benjamin (Jr.), Arizona StateMax Borghi (So.), Washington StateIsaiah Bowser (So.), NorthwesternRakeem Boyd (Jr.), ArkansasDarius Bradwell (Sr.), TulaneShamari Brooks (Jr.), TulsaSpencer Brown (Jr.), UABBrittain Brown (Jr.), DukeCade Carney (Sr.), Wake ForestMichael Carter (Jr.), North CarolinaTy Chandler (Jr.), TennesseeAndrew Clair (Jr.), Bowling GreenJashaun Corbin (So.), Texas A&MReggie Corbin (Sr.), IllinoisAJ Dillon (Jr.), Boston CollegeJ.K. Dobbins (Jr), Ohio StateTravis Dye (So.), OregonTravis Etienne (Jr.), ClemsonDarrynton Evans (Jr.), Appalachian StateDayton Furuta (Sr.), HawaiiTre Harbison (Jr.), Northern IllinoisNajee Harris (Jr.), AlabamaKylin Hill (Jr.), Mississippi StateJerry Howard, Jr. (Jr.), Georgia TechChuba Hubbard (So.), Oklahoma StateMohamed Ibrahim (So.), MinnesotaKeaontay Ingram (So.), TexasDeon Jackson (Jr.), DukeJermar Jefferson (So.), Oregon StateTony Jones, Jr. (Sr.), Notre DameLopini Katoa (So.), BYUJoshua Kelley (Sr.), UCLABryant Koback (So.), ToledoBenny LeMay (Sr.), UNCCVavae Malepeai (Jr.), USCKam Martin (Sr.), AuburnJordan Mason (So.), Georgia TechGreg McCrae (Jr.), UCFAnthony McFarland, Jr. (So.), MarylandTra Minter (Sr.), South AlabamaElijah Mitchell (Jr.), Louisiana-LafayetteMarcel Murray (So.), Arkansas StateMo Neal (Sr.), SyracuseJaret Patterson (So.), BuffaloLamical Perine (Sr.), FloridaScottie Phillips (Sr.), Ole MissTrey Ragas (Jr.), Louisiana-LafayetteRonnie Rivers (Jr.), Fresno StateLarry Rountree, III (Jr.), MissouriMekhi Sargent (Jr), IowaCameron Scarlett (Sr.), StanfordStevie Scott, III (So.), IndianaBJ Smith (Sr.), TroyRodney Smith (Sr.), MinnesotaKesean Strong (Sr.), Old DominionD’Andre Swift (Jr.), GeorgiaToa Taua (So.), NevadaCorey Taylor, II (Jr.), TulsaJ.J. Taylor (Jr.), ArizonaJonathan Taylor (Jr.), WisconsinPatrick Taylor (Sr.), MemphisDeAndre Torrey (Jr.), North TexasBreck Turner (Sr.), Eastern MichiganKeShawn Vaughn (Sr.), VanderbiltCJ Verdell (So.), OregonMichael Warren, II (Jr.), CincinnatiDevwah Whaley (Sr.), Arkansas
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced on November 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning December 2 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2019 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12 on ESPN.
The award, which will name its 30th recipient in 2019, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
