Penn State’s Saquon Barkley on Doak Walker Award watch list

It should come as no surprise that Saquon Barkley will be under consideration as college football’s best running back.

The Penn State junior is on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, the second watch list for the back. Barkley also is on the list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s best player.

The Doak Walker Award has been given out since 1989 and honors athletic and academic achievement, requiring candidates to be on schedule to graduate within one year of other students in their classification. Larry Johnson is Penn State’s lone winner of the award, in 2002.

Barkley is among 61 on the initial list for the award, presented by the SMU Athletic Forum. Semifinalists will be announced Nov. 15, three finalists will be named Nov. 20 and the award will be presented Dec. 7.

Barkley carried the ball for 1,496 yards last season; was second in the Big Ten, averaging 106.9 yards per game; led the conference and ranked sixth in FBS with 22 touchdowns; and was the Big Ten’s Running Back and Offensive Player of the Year.

Barkley is among nine Nittany Lions who have been named to watch lists this summer, along with quarterback Trace McSorley (Maxwell Award), safety Marcus Allen (Lott Impact Trophy, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Thorpe Award), linebacker Jason Cabinda (Lott Impack Trophy, Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Nagurski Award), tight end Mike Gesicki (Mackey Award), linebacker Brandon Smith (Allstate AFCA Good Works), kicker Tyler Davis (Lou Groza Award), punter Blake Gillikin (Ray Guy Award) and coach James Franklin (Bobby Dodd Trophy).

Penn State opens its season Sept. 2 hosting Akron at Beaver Stadium.

This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Penn State’s Saquon Barkley on Doak Walker Award watch list."