by staff–14 Jul ’16
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Thursday its 2016 Doak Walker Award candidates and University of Wyoming junior running back Brian Hill was one of the individual student-athletes named to this year’s list. This marks the second consecutive season that Hill has been selected a candidate for the award presented to the nation’s top college running back.
Last year as a sophomore, Hill was one of the 11 semifinalists selected by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors. He was the only semifinalist from a non-Power Five conference.
Six of last year’s semifinalists were named to this year’s list of candidates, including two of the three finalists — Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and LSU’s Leonard Fournette. Derrick Henry of Alabama was the 2015 recipient of the Doak Walker Award.
Hill concluded the 2015 season ranked No. 8 in the nation in average rushing yards per game (135.9), No. 9 in total rushing yards (1,631) and No. 13 in average all-purpose yards per game (146.9). He set a new University of Wyoming single-season rushing record, with his 1,631 yards. He enters his junior season ranked fifth in school history in career rushing yards (2,427). He needs 537 yards in 2016 to break the UW career rushing record of 2,963 yards set by Devin Moore from 2005-08.
Ten semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 16. From that list of semifinalists three finalists will be named on Nov. 22. The Doak Walker Award will select its 27th recipient this season. 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 in early 2017.
The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
