The 2025 Doak Walker Award watch list is finally out. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released on Tuesday the 104 preseason candidates for the award, which is presented to the most outstanding college running back in the nation. Here are the top running backs in contention for the prestigious honor.
Complete 2025 Doak Walker Award Watch List
Dallan Hayden (Colorado Buffaloes)
Dallan Hayden’s first year with the Colorado Buffaloes didn’t go according to plan as he struggled with an ankle injury throughout the 2024 season. The former Ohio State running back racked up 196 rushing yards and one score on 64 carries in his first season in Boulder. He is vying to be Colorado’s starting running back this coming season.
Micah Welch (Colorado Buffaloes)
Micah Welch is another Colorado player who was included on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award. He ran for 186 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries last season while serving as the Buffaloes’ No. 2 running back behind starter Isaiah Augustave. The incoming sophomore is one of the frontrunners for Colorado’s RB1 role in 2025.
Makhi Hughes (Oregon Ducks)
Makhi Hughes was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Doak Walker Award after producing spectacular numbers for Tulane in his sophomore season. He ran for 1,401 yards and 15 scores on 265 carries in his second year with the Green Wave. He will play for a new team next season after the Oregon Ducks signed him through the transfer portal.
Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame Fighting Irish)
Jeremiyah Love made the list after he posted impressive numbers last season for Notre Dame. He helped the Fighting Irish reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, finishing the 2024 season with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 163 carries.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the best RB in College Football heading into this season
Is this even up for debate? pic.twitter.com/RA8x7jxqTb
— Always Talkin’ Ball Podcast (@AlwaysTalkBall) July 12, 2025
Isaac Brown (Louisville Cardinals)
Isaac Brown established himself as one of the nation’s top running backs last season, amassing 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns on 165 carries for Louisville in 2024. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry in his freshman year for the Cardinals, who finished the season with a 9-4 overall record. He is one of the leading contenders to win the 2025 Doak Walker Award.
Other Preseason Candidates for the 2025 Doak Walker Award
Here are the other running backs included on the list of preseason candidates for the 2025 Doak Walker Award.
- Sedrick Alexander (Vanderbilt)
- Kaytron Allen (Penn State)
- Jo’Shon Barbie (Marshall)
- Jadan Baugh (Florida)
- CJ Baxter (Texas)
- Jalen Berger (UCLA)
- DeSean Bishop (Tennessee)
- Davon Booth (Mississippi State)
- Fluff Bothwell (Mississippi State)
- Alex Broome (Boston College)
- Xavier Brown (Virginia)
- Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest)
- Jonah Coleman (Washington)
- Cam Cook (Jacksonville State)
- Ja’Quez Cross (Arkansas State)
- Bill Davis (Louisiana)
- Greg Desrosiers Jr. (Memphis)
- C.J. Donaldson (Ohio State)
- Bryson Donelson (Fresno State)
- Jay Ducker (Temple)
- Cam Edwards (UConn)
- Dylan Edwards (Kansas State)
- Kaden Feagin (Illinois)
- Nate Frazier (Georgia)
- Sire Gaines (Boise State)
- Davion Gause (North Carolina)
- Julian Gray (Liberty)
- Marlon Gunn Jr. (East Carolina)
- Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State)
- Carson Hanson (Iowa State)
- Ahmad Hardy (Missouri)
- George Hart III (WKU)
- Justice Haynes (Michigan)
- Jamal Haynes (Georgia Tech)
- Eli Heidenreich (Navy)
- Roman Hemby (Indiana)
- Robert Henry Jr. (UTSA)
- Daniel Hishaw Jr. (Kansas)
- Sedrick Irvin (Stanford)
- Bryan Jackson (USC)
- Parker Jenkins (East Carolina)
- Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)
- Waymond Jordan (USC)
- Quinten Joyner (Texas Tech)
- Aidan Laughery (Illinois)
- Jordan Marshall (Michigan)
- Justin Marshall (Colorado State)
- LJ Martin (BYU)
- Tony Mathis Jr. (Marshall)
- Josh McCray (Georgia)
- Jordan McDonald (Boston College)
- Derrick McFall (SMU)
- Makenzie McGill II (North Texas)
- Jam Miller (Alabama)
- Devin Mockobee (Purdue)
- London Montgomery (East Carolina)
- Myles Montgomery (UCF)
- Jaquez Moore (Duke)
- Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M)
- Kamari Moulton (Iowa)
- Jaden Nixon (UCF)
- Will Nixon (Syracuse)
- Cartevious Norton (South Florida)
- Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma)
- Rueben Owens II (Texas A&M)
- Lincoln Pare (Texas State)
- Wayshawn Parker (Utah)
- Zylan Perry (Louisiana)
- Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
- Evan Pryor (Cincinnati)
- Nolan Ray (Maryland)
- Desmond Reid (Pitt)
- Jamal Roberts (Missouri)
- Braylen Russell (Arkansas)
- Abu Sama III (Iowa State)
- Eli Sanders (USC)
- Gavin Sawchuk (Florida State)
- Jo Silver (Delaware)
- Nicholas Singleton (Penn State)
- Joquez Smith (Temple)
- Sutton Smith (Memphis)
- Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State)
- Terion Stewart (Virginia Tech)
- Darius Taylor (Minnesota)
- Alex Tecza (Navy)
- Star Thomas (Tennessee)
- Jai’Den Thomas (UNLV)
- Jaivian Thomas (UCLA)
- A.J. Turner (Minnesota)
- Tawee Walker (Cincinnati)
- Bryson Washington (Baylor)
- Duke Watson (Louisville)
- Jahiem White (West Virginia)
- Noah Whittington (Oregon)
- Aneyas Williams (Notre Dame)
- Leshon Williams (Kansas)
- Yasin Willis (Syracuse)
- Quintrevion Wisner (Texas)
- Terrez Worthy (Temple)
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