When it comes to the Doak Walker Award, there are two football factories that stand above the rest: Wisconsin and Texas.
The Badgers and Longhorns have produced five winners each. The award has been presented annually since 1990, which means that UW and UT backs have accounted for 28.5% of all winners.
Wisconsin will return to its ground-and-pound roots after a brief dalliance with Phil Longo’s “Dairy Raid” offense. Luke Fickell hired Jeff Grimes this offseason to bring the Badgers back to a ground-centric attack.
Grimes’ RVO system stands for "Reliable Violent Offense." In time, I expect another Badger back to hoist the Doak Walker trophy, but it doesn’t appear they have the personnel to make that happen this fall.
Texas, meanwhile, is well-positioned to produce a monster running back this season. Let's take a look at my college football picks and NCAAF predictions for Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner.
RB Quintrevion Wisner
Doak Walker Award · +4000 (DraftKings)
Arch Manning is sucking up all the oxygen down on the Forty Acres, but head coach Steve Sarkisian’s system is made for a running back to take center stage.
Across the past five seasons, he ranks second in the SEC among play-callers when it comes to feeding a bellcow back. Over 41% of Sark’s carries have gone to his top running back dating back to 2020.
This played a big part in Bijan Robinson’s breakout season in 2022 when he touched the rock 277 times. Those touches translated to 1,894 total yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns.
Could we see Wisner fend off a deep running back room and approach 275 or even 300 touches this fall? If the Longhorns’ stretch run from last season was any indication, the answer is yes.
Can Wisner Separate Himself?
After splitting touches with Jaydon Blue for much of October, Sark simplified things late, opting to feed Wisner early and often in UT’s biggest games.
Wisner’s touch rate skyrocketed in his final six games, jumping up to an average of 24.5 opportunities per game. He crossed the century mark in three of those six contests, while cashing in three scores.
The touchdown rate is where this play will sink or swim. At 6-foot, 194 pounds, he’d never be confused for a red-zone bulldozer. Toss in the fact that Arch Manning could see some designed quarterback runs inside the five, and the return of CJ Baxter (6-foot-1, 227 pounds) from injury, and it’s easy to see touchdowns being vultured away from Wisner.
But that’s why his work in the passing game will be crucial. Despite being a part of a running back timeshare, Wisner was still targeted 61 times through the air. He has 500-yard upside as a receiver and could cash in four or five aerial scores.
Short on Other Doak Walker Candidates
Unlike last year, where Ashton Jeanty had a stranglehold on this award from his very first game (267 yards, six TDs vs. Georgia Southern), this year’s field is headlined by favorites with serious questions.
Penn State will have to split carries between Nicholas Singleton (+600) and Kaytron Allen (+1500). Pitt’s Desmond Reid (+900) may put up the numbers, but his team’s success could hamstring his chances.
Only one Doak Walker winner has come from a team with fewer than eight wins in the past decade. The team success albatross around Reid’s neck is also true of Minnesota’s Darius Taylor (+1000).
This leaves us with the odds-on favorite, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. He has a nose for the end zone (19 in 2024), but his usage could be a problem. In 11 of the Irish’s 16 games last season, he received 11 or fewer carries. He was also targeted nearly half as much as Wisner was through the air.
So, while he's dynamic, it may be difficult for him to top 1,500 total yards when accounting for his timeshare with Jadarian Price (746 rushing yards, seven TDs) and the likelihood of Notre Dame blowing out half of its schedule.
As of today, the Irish are favored by two touchdowns or more in seven of their 12 games.
Pick: Quintrevion Wisner to Win Doak Walker Award (+4000)
