Shipley named to Preseason Doak Walker Watch List
DALLAS - The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released today the preseason candidates for the 2023 Doak Walker Award. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back.
The list features 2022 Doak Walker Award finalist Blake Corum who rushed for over 132 yards per game through Michigan’s first 11 contests before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss who was a semifinalist for the Award and led the SEC in rushing in 2022, Braelon Allen from Wisconsin, who has amassed 2,500 rushing yards over the past two seasons, and Raheim Sanders from Arkansas who rushed for 1,433 yards in 2022, are also featured among the list of preseason candidates.
University athletic departments nominate candidates for the award and can continue to do so through October. The complete list of candidates is below.
Rasheen Ali (So), Marshall
Braelon Allen (Jr.), Wisconsin
Kaytron Allen (So.), Penn State
LeQuint Allen (So.), Syracuse
Emani Bailey (Jr.), TCU
Sieh Bangura (So.), Ohio
Jovantae Barnes (So.), Oklahoma
Kevorian Barnes (So.), UTSA
Trey Benson (Jr.), Florida State
Tahj Brooks (Sr.), Texas Tech
Antario Brown (Jr.), NIU
Jermaine Brown Jr. (Sr.), UAB
Noah Cain (Sr.), LSU
Marcus Carroll (Sr.), Georgia State
Blake Corum (Sr.), Michigan
Marquis Crosby (So.), Louisiana Tech
CJ Donaldson Jr. (So.), West Virginia
Donovan Edwards (Jr.), Michigan
Justice Ellison (Jr.), Wake Forest
Davion Ervin-Poindexter (Jr.), WKU
Audric Estime' (Jr.), Notre Dame
Samson Evans (Grad.), Eastern Michigan
Pat Garwo (Grad.), Boston College
Rodney Hammond Jr. (Jr.), Pitt
Deion Hankins (Jr.), UTEP
Rahjai Harris (Jr.), East Carolina
RJ Harvey (Sr.), UCF
Roman Hemby (So.), Maryland
TreVeyon Henderson (Jr.), Ohio State
Daniel Hishaw Jr. (So.), Kansas
George Holani (Sr.), Boise State
Bucky Irving (Jr.), Oregon
Kaleb Johnson (So.), Iowa
Kobe Johnson (Grad.), Colorado State
Austin Jones (Sr.), USC
Jawhar Jordan (Jr.), Louisville
Quinshon Judkins (So.), Ole Miss
Reggie Love III (Sr.), Illinois
Jaylin Lucas (So.), Indiana
Jo’Quavious Marks (Sr.), Mississippi State
Damien Martinez (So.), Oregon State
Tony Mathis Jr. (Jr.), Houston
Alton McCaskill (So.), Colorado
Josh McCray (So.), Illinois
Chez Mellusi (Grad.), Wisconsin
Devin Mockobee (So.), Purdue
Devin Neal (Jr.), Kansas
Nate Noel (Jr.), App State
Jaydn Ott (So.), Cal
Frank Peasant (Jr.), Middle Tennessee
Richard Reese (So.), Baylor
Aidan Robbins (Jr.), BYU
Kairee Robinson (Grad.), San Jose State
Raheim Sanders (Jr.), Arkansas
Trey Sanders (Jr.), TCU
Will Shipley (Jr.), Clemson
Nicholas Singleton (So.), Penn State
Cam Skattebo (Jr.), Arizona State
Jabari Small (Sr.), Tennessee
Dontae Smith (Sr.), Georgia Tech
E.J. Smith (Sr.), Stanford
Kavosiey Smoke (Grad), Colorado
Carson Steele (Jr.), UCLA
Bhayshul Tuten (Jr.), Virginia Tech
Kimani Vidal (Jr.), Troy
Treshaun Ward (Sr.), Kansas State
Dre'lyn Washington (So.), Louisiana
Nakia Watson (Sr.), Washington State
La'Damian Webb (Sr.), South Alabama
Noah Whittington (Jr.), Oregon
Michael Wiley (Sr.), Arizona
Sy'veon Wilkerson (So.), Colorado
Josh Williams (Grad.), LSU
Miyan Williams (Sr.), Ohio State
Jaylen Wright (Jr.), Tennessee
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 in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December 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 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards.
The award 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.
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Honoring the legends of sports for 33 years, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum includes four luncheons and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2023 preseason watch list calendar:
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award
Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award