TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin added yet another prestigious preseason honor to his growing catalog this morning, as the junior was among the talented list of student-athletes named to the 2019 Doak Walker Award preseason Watch List, announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
Benjamin, who earned a place on the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this week, will return to the field in 2019 following a historic sophomore campaign that saw him lead the Sun Devil rushing attack. He topped the Pac-12 with a school-record 1,642 rushing yards, carding triple-digit efforts on nine different occasions. Following the season, Eno was Arizona State's lone representative on the All-Conference First Team.
One of nine running backs listed as preseason candidates for the award, Benjamin was joined on the list by Max Borghi (Washington State), Travis Dye (Oregon), Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State), Joshua Kelley (UCLA), Vavae Malepeai (USC), Cameron Scarlett (Stanford), J.J. Taylor (Arizona) and CJ Verdell (Oregon).
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced on November 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning December 2 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The award, which will name its 30th recipient in 2019, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is 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. The recipient of the 2019 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12 on ESPN.
Benjamin, who earned a place on the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this week, will return to the field in 2019 following a historic sophomore campaign that saw him lead the Sun Devil rushing attack. He topped the Pac-12 with a school-record 1,642 rushing yards, carding triple-digit efforts on nine different occasions. Following the season, Eno was Arizona State's lone representative on the All-Conference First Team.
One of nine running backs listed as preseason candidates for the award, Benjamin was joined on the list by Max Borghi (Washington State), Travis Dye (Oregon), Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State), Joshua Kelley (UCLA), Vavae Malepeai (USC), Cameron Scarlett (Stanford), J.J. Taylor (Arizona) and CJ Verdell (Oregon).
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced on November 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning December 2 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The award, which will name its 30th recipient in 2019, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is 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. The recipient of the 2019 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12 on ESPN.