Kevorian Barnes #31 of the UTSA Roadrunners scores a touchdown on November 12, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
UTSA sophomore running back Kevorian Barnes has been chosen as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Wednesday.
A native of San Augustine, Texas, Barnes is one of 75 FBS players, including one of three from the American Athletic Conference, named to the preseason list for the award presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.
The 2022 Conference USA Freshman of the Year played in 13 games and drew a pair of starts in the backfield last fall. A Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College Second Team selection, Barnes rushed for 845 yards and six touchdowns on 135 carries with 825 of his yards coming over the final eight contests. He topped the 100-yard mark on the ground in five contests and averaged 6.3 yards per rush during his breakout season that was capped with a 132-yard output against No. 23 Troy in the Cure Bowl.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December 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 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards live on ESPN on Dec. 7.
The award 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.
Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA crown and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24).
UTSA has been picked to finish second in the AAC Preseason Media Poll and will kick off its 13th season of play on Saturday, Sept. 2, against Houston. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on FS1.
UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners will host Army at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.
2023 Doak Walker Award Candidates
Rasheen Ali (So), Marshall
Braelon Allen (Jr.), Wisconsin
Kaytron Allen (So.), Penn State
LeQuint Allen (So.), Syracuse
Emani Bailey (Jr.), TCU
Sieh Bangura (So.), Ohio
Jovantae Barnes (So.), Oklahoma
Kevorian Barnes (So.), UTSA
Trey Benson (Jr.), Florida State
Tahj Brooks (Sr.), Texas Tech
Antario Brown (Jr.), NIU
Jermaine Brown Jr. (Sr.), UAB
Noah Cain (Sr.), LSU
Marcus Carroll (Sr.), Georgia State
Blake Corum (Sr.), Michigan
Marquis Crosby (So.), Louisiana Tech
CJ Donaldson Jr. (So.), West Virginia
Donovan Edwards (Jr.), Michigan
Justice Ellison (Jr.), Wake Forest
Davion Ervin-Poindexter (Jr.), WKU
Audric Estime' (Jr.), Notre Dame
Samson Evans (Grad.), Eastern Michigan
Pat Garwo (Grad.), Boston College
Rodney Hammond Jr. (Jr.), Pitt
Deion Hankins (Jr.), UTEP
Rahjai Harris (Jr.), East Carolina
RJ Harvey (Sr.), UCF
Roman Hemby (So.), Maryland
TreVeyon Henderson (Jr.), Ohio State
Daniel Hishaw Jr. (So.), Kansas
George Holani (Sr.), Boise State
Bucky Irving (Jr.), Oregon
Kaleb Johnson (So.), Iowa
Kobe Johnson (Grad.), Colorado State
Austin Jones (Sr.), USC
Jawhar Jordan (Jr.), Louisville
Quinshon Judkins (So.), Ole Miss
Reggie Love III (Sr.), Illinois
Jaylin Lucas (So.), Indiana
Jo’Quavious Marks (Sr.), Mississippi State
Damien Martinez (So.), Oregon State
Tony Mathis Jr. (Jr.), Houston
Alton McCaskill (So.), Colorado
Josh McCray (So.), Illinois
Chez Mellusi (Grad.), Wisconsin
Devin Mockobee (So.), Purdue
Devin Neal (Jr.), Kansas
Nate Noel (Jr.), App State
Jaydn Ott (So.), Cal
Frank Peasant (Jr.), Middle Tennessee
Richard Reese (So.), Baylor
Aidan Robbins (Jr.), BYU
Kairee Robinson (Grad.), San Jose State
Raheim Sanders (Jr.), Arkansas
Trey Sanders (Jr.), TCU
Will Shipley (Jr.), Clemson
Nicholas Singleton (So.), Penn State
Cam Skattebo (Jr.), Arizona State
Jabari Small (Sr.), Tennessee
Dontae Smith (Sr.), Georgia Tech
E.J. Smith (Sr.), Stanford
Kavosiey Smoke (Grad), Colorado
Carson Steele (Jr.), UCLA
Bhayshul Tuten (Jr.), Virginia Tech
Kimani Vidal (Jr.), Troy
Treshaun Ward (Sr.), Kansas State
Dre'lyn Washington (So.), Louisiana
Nakia Watson (Sr.), Washington State
La'Damian Webb (Sr.), South Alabama
Noah Whittington (Jr.), Oregon
Michael Wiley (Sr.), Arizona
Sy'veon Wilkerson (So.), Colorado
Josh Williams (Grad.), LSU
Miyan Williams (Sr.), Ohio State
Jaylen Wright (Jr.), Tennessee