Tag: Doak Walker Award Watch List

TreVeyon Henderson named to the Doak Walker watch list

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is one of 74 names appearing on the 2022 Doak Walker watch list that was announced Wednesday.

We’ve got another preseason watch list for you, this time from the folks on the Doak Walker Award committee. The award, handed out to the college football player judged to be the best running back in college football annually, has been handed out since 1990.

This year, the watch list has 74 names appearing on it, with Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson getting recognition as one to watch as we kick off the 2022 college football season.

Henderson burst onto the scene last season as a true freshman, rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns on 183 carries (6.8 yards per carry). This, from an offense that has become extremely pass-heavy under head coach Ryan Day.  Lost in all of that though is that with the number of plays Ohio State now runs on offense, there are plenty of opportunities for a running back the caliber of Henderson to get his touches and yards.

Henderson will look to build on a campaign that he put together a year after missing a year of high school development because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no doubt that Henderson is one of the most explosive and gamebreaking running backs in the country, and if Ohio State can have the type of offense we think it will in 2022, he should get ample opportunity to show what he can do and make a run at the Doak Walker.

Eddie George is the only OSU player to take home the award, all the way back in his Heisman year of 1995.

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Sooners running back Eric Gray named to Doak Walker award watch list for 2022

Looking to bounce back from an underutilized season in 2021, Oklahoma Sooners RB Eric Gray was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list for 2022.

Just over five weeks from the start of the 2022 college football season, we’re in the midst of award watch list season. This week, Dillon Gabriel was named to watch lists for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards. Joining him is backfield mate Eric Gray, who was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list for 2022.

Established in 1990, the Oklahoma Sooners have never won the Doak Walker.

Eric Gray, who transferred in from Tennessee last offseason, looks to be the favorite to lead the Oklahoma Sooners at running back in 2022 after Kennedy Brooks departed for the NFL.

Heading into the 2021 season, there was a lot of optimism about what Gray might be able to do in Lincoln Riley’s offense. Unfortunately, it never materialized as his touch count diminished after the West Virginia game. After back-to-back performances that saw him rush for more than 70 yards against Western Carolina and Nebraska, Gray rushed for just 38 yards on 12 carries against West Virginia. Not surprising, considering Dante Stills and Akheem Mesidor created one of the best interior defensive lines in the nation in 2021.

Despite the paltry rushing numbers against the Mountaineers, Gray showed that he could be a game changer in the passing game catching three passes for 52 yards in the Sooners’ 16-13 win.

After that 17-touch performance, Gray was kept on the shelf by Lincoln Riley and didn’t see double-digit touches again until the Alamo Bowl win over Oregon.

Against the Ducks, he had 13 touches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Gray, like wide receiver Marvin Mims, was surprisingly underutilized in an offense that struggled with consistency all year. Though they may not have wanted to take carries away from Kennedy Brooks, they could have gotten Gray more involved in the passing game, especially against Baylor and Oklahoma State, when the offense stalled.

Count head coach Brent Venables a believer in the dynamic running back.

“Yeah, Eric’s been a pro,” Venables said after the spring game. “From the moment that we got here he’s been the model of what it looks like. So, Eric’s been a great competitor and just he makes guys around better. He always has this positive, matter of fact quality to him. Just when he’s calling somebody up, that’s [where] he’s in their butt. So, it’s fun to watch that happen.”

The Oklahoma Sooners have to get the ball in Eric Gray’s hands. Both as a runner and a receiver. He’s simply too good of a player to only give Gray 4.63 touches per game as Lincoln Riley did down the stretch in 2021.

Don’t count on Jeff Lebby to underutilize Gray in an offense that will get the ball to its best playmakers. Gray had just 78 carries in 2021, while three of Ole Miss’ running backs had more than 100 attempts on the season, not counting quarterback Matt Corral’s 152 rushing attempts. Though it’s been characterized as a pass-heavy attack, the Sooners will look for balance in 2022 and Eric Gray will be a big part of keeping the Sooners offense efficiently moving the chains.

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Wisconsin RB Jalen Berger named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger was named to the prestigious Doak Walker Award Watch List on Wednesday morning:

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On Wednesday morning, Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger was named to the prestigious Doak Walker Award Watch List. It is awarded to the best running back in college football every season.

Related: Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

Many Badgers fans may be familiar with the Doak Walker Award because Wisconsin running backs have won the award five times. Some notable Wisconsin alumni of the award include two-time winner Jonathan Taylor, Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball and Ron Dayne. Former Wisconsin running back Nakia Watson was also named to the watch list for the award before last season.

After a promising true freshman season where Berger averaged 6.5 yards per carry, it is no surprise to see high expectations for the sophomore running back with a full offseason under his belt.

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