DeJuan Williams Named to 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List
8/18/2026 10:25:00 AM | Football
DALLAS, TX -- Maryland redshirt sophomore running back DeJuan Williams has been named to the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List, as announced Tuesday by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum. The award annually recognizes the top running back in college football.
Williams, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound Baltimore native, enters the 2026 season following a standout 2025 campaign.
Williams led the Terps with 927 all-purpose yards and scored four total touchdowns. He led the team with 501 rushing yards while leading all Big Ten running backs with 45 receptions for 426 receiving yards.
A graduate of Saint Frances Academy, Williams set the Maryland single-season record for receiving yards by a running back with 426, surpassing Bruce Perry's previous mark of 359 set in 2001. His 45 receptions were the second-most by a running back in a single season in program history, trailing only Allen Williams' 51 catches in 1994.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, followed by the announcement of three finalists selected by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee later that month. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient.
The National Selection Committee consists of past award recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives. The recipient of the 2026 Doak Walker Award will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10, 2026.
