Jul 315 min read

The 2024 Doak Walker Award: Top 5 Candidates to Watch

The Doak Walker Award is given to the best running back in each college football season. The award was created by the Southern Methodist Athletic Foundation to honor the memory of former SMU Mustangs running back Doak Walker. It was first given out in 1990 to Washington Huskies running back Greg Lewis.

There have been a lot of prestigious winners, many who went on to have successful NFL careers. Players like Derrick Henry, Darren McFadden, Reggie Bush and LaDainian Tomlinson have won the Walker Award. There's a ton of competition for it this season. Many RBs will be eyeing a February trip to Dallas for the award's banquet.

Let's take a look at some candidates who might make the Walker Award Watch List for the preseason. TheLast season list is to be announced on Tuesday, August 6. This isn't a comprehensive list, but here are 5 likely candidates heading into the season.

No. 1: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State Cowboys

The 2023 Doak Walker Award winner will almost surely be on this list once again as the wheels have certainly not fallen off for this young man. Ollie Gordon II is one of the nation's most complete backs. Last season as a sophomore, Gordon had 285 carries for 1,732 yards rushing (6.1 yards/carry). He also totaled 39 receptions for 330 yards (8.5 yards/reception). Gordon finished with 22 total touchdowns. His numbers speak for themselves.

Can Gordon have a repeat performance this season? Teams are going to game plan around him and be more ready this season. Gordon saw little time on the field as a freshman. But he probably has the nation's most experienced offensive line in front of him. It's a group of 7 players with multiple starts, making his job quite a bit easier.

The question becomes how much will opposing defenses prepare to face him? Also, what will Gordon do to stay dominant on the field? There will be tougher defenses to face this season. Gordon will need be on his A-game once again. Having an experienced offensive line will help. If Gordon hits defenders hard and builds off his 2023 season, he could have another award-winning season.

No. 2: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina Tar Heels

Omarion Hampton is another back who produces as his 2023 statistics can attest. Hampton totaled 1,504 yards rushing off 253 carries (5.9 yards/carry). He also had 29 receptions for 222 yards (7.7 yards/reception), posting 16 total touchdowns. Playing alongside 2024 NFL Draft first-round pick quarterback Drake Maye, Hampton had trouble standing out. But he was able to do so.

With Maye gone now, Hampton shoulders an even bigger load. "I just want to show that I'm an all-around back, like Christian McCaffrey on Sundays," Hampton said at the ACC Kickoff.

Hampton has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List. It will be interesting to see if he, like Gordon and others on this list, can produce this season. If he can develop into a complete back, then Hampton not only will be among the finalists for the Doak Walker Award, but the Maxwell Award, too.

No. 3: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a ton of talent in their backfield this year. It's headlined by talented Ole Miss Rebels transfer Quinshon Judkins. It was a tough decision to choose between Judkins and teammate TreVeyon Henderson, but statistics speak for themselves.

At Ole Miss, Judkins made a name for himself. He had 271 carries for 11,58 yards (4.3 yards/carry). Judkins also caught 22 passes for 149 yards (6.2 yards/reception).

He totaled 17 touchdowns for the Rebels. Ohio State got an absolute workhorse in Judkins. He's going to split backfield carries with Henderson, but Judkins should still get his fair share of carries.

Expect this 2-headed monster to wreck the strongest Big Ten Conference defenses. Poised alongside dual-threat quarterback Will Howard, Ohio State has a backfield to be reckoned with this season. Judkins, though, will be a dominant force.

No. 4: Donovan Edwards, Michigan Wolverines

Don't sleep on the Michigan Wolverines. They also have an experienced veteran workhorse in their backfield. Edwards' statistics may not be eye-catching as he split carries last season with 2023 Doak Walker semifinalist Blake Corum. But Edwards made the most of his time and has a career resume to back it up.

For his three-year career, Edwards has 1,662 total yards rushing off 294 carries (5.7 yards/carry). He has 68 total receptions for 714 yards (10.5 yards/reception). Edwards also has 18 total touchdowns, too. He's had to share carries with Corum, but still showed off with explosive performances. In the College Football Playoff National Championship game, Edwards carried the ball 6 times for 104 yards (a whopping 17.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.

With Edwards as the top back, expect him to become more visable in Michigan's offense. The Wolverines lose a bit of production entering this season. But he's going to need to be a an absolute stud for Michigan.

No. 5: Devin Neal, Kansas Jayhawks

ESPN named Devin Neal at No. 10 on their 2024 season best running backs list. That's a disservice to Neal. He is another complete back with explosive play ability and excellent leadership skills. A Lawrence, Kan., native and lifelong Jayhawk, Neal has helped build built this Kansas program back up. He's played a role in making Kansas a program with both Big 12 Conference championship and CFP aspirations.

Last year, Neal had 203 carries for 1,280 yards (6.3 yards/carry). He also caught 25 passes for 217 yards (8.7 yards/reception) and scored 17 total touchdowns. His numbers place him among the best in the country.

Neal has been part of 1 of the strongest offenses in college football. With a majority of skill position players returning and solid Transfer Portal pieces, Kansas' offense will look to repeat or exceed that production. Neal provides on- and off-field leadership for Kansas. Another strong season will put Neal among the finalists for this award.

Doak Walker Award: Other Top Backs

This is not a comprehensive list. Things can easily change and probably will. Below are a few names that could make some noise this year.

These guys could find themselves on the Walker Award list. Some likely will be semifinalists in November and December. Competition is deep for this award. But the top dogs will make themselves known this season.