Penn State leads nation in Doak Walker Award watch list running backs
If you had any doubts about the quality depth at the running back position in Happy Valley, then doubt no more. Penn State landed three players on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award on Wednesday, more than any other school in the country.
The Doak Walker Award is awarded annually to the top running back in college football. This year’s watch list was first released with Penn State’s Noah Cain, Keyvone Lee, and John Lovett on the watch list. As is typically the case, a player does not need to appear on the watch list before the season to be eligible to win the award, but it is still nice to be included among the nation’s best at your respective position. Other Nittany Lions aren’t able to say the same this week.
Cain suffered an early season-ending injury in 2020 but appears to be on track to be available for the Nittany Lions in 2021. If healthy, it is expected Cain will be the leading rusher for Penn State.
In Cain’s absence last season, Lee was one of the younger players (along with Devyn Ford) to receive more playing time in the offense, and he showed some good glimpses of what he can do as well.
Lovett is the newest member to the Penn State family, but he is already the most experienced back in the program after transferring from Baylor. Lovett was a key offensive player for Baylor early on in his time in Waco, and he is expected to be a solid piece of the offensive gameplan at Penn State.
The Doak Walker Award Watch List has arrived!https://t.co/PXcN7IbWI2 pic.twitter.com/v7R0DWaVMn
— Doak Walker Award (@DoakWalkerAward) July 21, 2021
Count 'em up‼️
1⃣ @TheRealNoahCain
2⃣ @KeyvoneL
3⃣ @_JLovett7The only program in the country with three named to the @DoakWalkerAward Watch List 👀#LawnBoyz #WeAre pic.twitter.com/8NmN2JOrnI
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) July 21, 2021
Penn State has had just one Doak Walker Award winner in program history despite the award first being presented in 1990. Larry Johnson won the Doak Walker Award in 2002. Ki-Jana Carter missed out on the Doak Walker Award in 1994 behind Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam from Colorado. More recently, Saquon Barkley couldn’t get past Stanford’s Bryce Love or Texas’ D’Onta Foreman for the award.
Alabama’s Najee Harris (drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers along with Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth this spring) won the Doak Walker Award in 2020.
Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson and safety Jaquan Brisker were recently named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, respectively.
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