DALLAS — The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced on Wednesday the preseason candidates for the 2023 Doak Walker Award, naming BYU running back Aidan Robbins among the 75 nominees for the annual honor presented to the nation's top running back.
Robbins, a 6-3, 240-pound junior from Louisville, Kentucky, was previously named to the 2023 watch list for the prestigious Maxwell Award, presented annually to college football’s player of the year. He was also named to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 First Team and the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team.
Robbins played the 2022 season at UNLV, where he led the Rebels in rushing with 209 carries for 1,011 yards and nine touchdowns, before transferring to BYU in the offseason. In 11 games at UNLV, Robbins averaged 4.8 yards per carry, while also catching 23 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Prior to attending UNLV, Robbins appeared in three games over two seasons for Louisville, rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Robbins was an executive member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Louisville, where he graduated with a degree in business marketing. He is pursuing an MBA at BYU.
In November, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists for the 2023 award. The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will later narrow the candidate field down to three finalists before casting a vote in December to determine the winner. 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 prestigious award is named after SMU three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. Former BYU running back Luke Staley won the Doak Walker Award in 2001 after rushing for 1,582 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses many of the most prestigious awards in college football. The 2023 Doak Walker Award winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.