Will Shipley named to watch list for nation's top running back

Will Shipley has been named to four award watch lists this summer, now including the Doak Walker.

by Press Release - Wed Aug 09 12:19:27 GMT-04:00 2023

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced today that running back Will Shipley has been named to the 2023 watch list for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s top running back.

Shipley has also been named to watch lists for the Maxwell (nation's top player), Paul Hornung (nation's most versatile player) and Wuerffel (community service). He is an All-American according to Athlon and Phil Steele and first-team All-ACC for running back, all-purpose and specialist.

Former Clemson running back Chez Mellusi (Wisconsin) also made the Doak Walker list.

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.