Ducks RB Byron Cardwell named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Sophomore running back Byron Cardwell has been named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top college running back presented by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

In program history, Oregon has seen just one if its running backs win the Doak Walker Award – LaMichael James in the 2010 season.  In 2017, Royce Freeman was a semifinalist, the only other Ducks back to reach that stage.

As a freshman last fall, Cardwell led the Pac-12 Conference in yards per rush, averaging an impressive 6.84 yards per carry.  Playing behind starter Travis Dye, Cardwell totaled 417 yards on 61 carries, scoring three touchdowns.  He amassed 100-yard rushing performances against Colorado on Oct. 30th (7 rush 127 yards, TD) and Washington State on Nov. 13th (9 rush 98 yards, 2 TD), both Ducks victories.

Cardwell is one of ten running backs from the Pac-12 Conference to make the preseason watch list for the award, with in-state rival Deshaun Fenwick at Oregon State also making the list.  The full list of watch list backs is below.

Oregon opens the season on Sept. 3rd against reigning national champion Georgia at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., for the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game.  It will be nationally televised at 12:30 p.m. on ABC.

2022 Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List

Devon Achane (Jr.), Texas A&M

Braelon Allen (So.), Wisconsin

Rasheen Ali (So.), Marshall

Ronald Awatt (Sr.), UTEP

Tank Bigsby (Jr.), Auburn

Isaiah Bowser (Sr.), UCF

British Brooks (Sr.), North Carolina

Jarek Broussard (Sr.), Michigan State

Antario Brown (So.), Northern Illinois

Chase Brown (Jr.), Illinois

Jermaine Brown (Jr.), UAB

Byron Cardwell (So.), Oregon

Nate Carter (So.), UCONN

Zach Charbonnet (Sr.), UCLA

Blake Corum (Jr.), Michigan

Travis Dye (Sr.), USC

Justice Ellison (So.), Wake Forest

Samson Evans (Jr.), Eastern Michigan

Deshaun Fenwick (Jr.), Oregon State

Alex Fontenot (Sr.), Colorado

Pat Garwo (Jr.), Boston College

Frank Gore, Jr. (So.), Southern Miss

Eric Gray (Sr.), Oklahoma

Gerald Green (Jr.), Georgia Southern

Tucker Gregg (Sr.), Georgia State

Hassan Hall (Sr.), Georgia Tech

Deion Hankins (So.), UTEP

TreVeyon Henderson (So.), Ohio State

George Holani (Jr.), Boise State

Evan Hull (Sr.), Northwestern

Mohamed Ibrahim (Sr.), Minnesota

Dillon Johnson (Jr.), Mississippi State

Roschon Johnson (Sr.), Texas

Austin Jones (Sr.), USC

Johnnie Lang, Jr. (Sr.), Arkansas State

Keyvone Lee (So.), Penn State

Joquavious Marks (Jr.), Mississippi State

DeWayne McBride (Jr.), UAB

Chez Mellusi (Sr.), Wisconsin

Kendre Miller (Jr.), TCU

Jordan Mims (Sr.), Fresno State

Keaton Mitchell (So.), East Carolina

Damien Moore (Jr.), Cal

Devin Neal (So.), Kansas

Lew Nichols, III (So.), Central Michigan

Nate Noel (So.), App State

Nathaniel Peat (Sr.), Missouri

Camerun Peoples (Jr.), App State

Dominic Richardson (Jr.), Oklahoma State

Johnny Richardson (Jr.), UCF

Bijan Robinson (Jr.), Texas

Raheim Sanders (So.), Arkansas

Will Shipley (So.), Clemson

Shaun Shivers (Sr.), Indiana

Jabari Small (Jr.), Tennessee

Chris Smith (Jr.), Louisiana

Dontae Smith (Jr.), Georgia Tech

E.J. Smith (Jr.), Stanford

Tyjae Spears (So.), Tulane

Titus Swen (Jr.), Wyoming

Tavion Thomas (Jr.), Utah

Sean Tucker (So.), Syracuse

Calvin Tyler, Jr. (Sr.), Utah State

Sean Tyler (Jr.), Western Michigan

Chris Tyree (Jr.), Notre Dame

Xazavian Valladay (Sr.), Arizona State

Deuce Vaughn (Jr.), Kansas State

Kimani Vidal (So.), Troy

Blake Watson (Jr.), Old Dominion

Treshaun Ward (So.), Florida State

Harrison Waylee (So.), Northern Illinois

Jalen White (Jr.), Georgia Southern

Jamyest Williams (Sr.), Georgia State

Nay’Quan Wright (Jr.), Florida