UVA running back Taquan Mizzell was named to the 2016 preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List, PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Thursday. The Doak Walker Award is given annually to the nation’s best running back.
Mizzell (Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.), a third-team All-ACC honoree in 2015, broke the ACC record for receiving yards by a running back with 721 in 2015. Mizzell finished 29 yards short of becoming the first FBS player since 2006 to record 700 receiving and 700 rushing yards in the same season. Mizzell is one of only five Cavaliers to ever record at least 1,000 career rushing and 1,000 career receiving yards. His 75 receptions in 2015 rank No. 2 all-time at UVA for catches in a season and No. 2 all-time for receptions in the ACC by a running back.
Mizzell previously had been named to the Maxwell Award and Biletnikoff Award preseason watch lists.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists on Nov. 16, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine three finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 22. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas, Texas, in early 2017.
The award, in its 27th year, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It’s 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.
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