Brandon Wilds Named to Doak Walker Watch List

July 16, 2015

University of South Carolina senior Brandon Wilds is among the candidates listed for the 2015 Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

Wilds, a 6-2, 216-pounder from Blythewood, S.C., enters his final campaign ranked 28th in school history with 1,277 rushing yards on 256 carries, an average of 5.0 yards per tote. As a junior in 2014, he was second on the squad with 570 yards rushing. He has started 11 games in his career, logging four 100-yard rushing contests.

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on November 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on November 24. The committee will cast a second vote beginning November 30 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 recipient of the 2015 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2016.

The award, which will name its 26th recipient in 2015, 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.