North Carolina State University Athletics
Duke Scott Named to 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List
8/18/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
DALLAS, Texas. – Presented annually to the nation's most outstanding running back, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum has named Duke Scott to the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List.
This will be the second preseason watch list nomination for the Stockbridge, Ga., native after being named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List.
Last season, in his first year of competition, he totaled 581 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. In the Wolfpack win over No. 8 Georgia Tech, the Stockbridge, Ga., native rushed for 196 yards and gained 207 all-purpose yards in the win. That tied for the 11th-best rushing total in school history and was the most since 2018. He was named the ACC Running Back of the Week and Rookie of the Week for that contest. He was the runner-up for AP National Player of the Week and was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week.
Named to the All-ACC Academic team for 2025. This season, Scott earned the No. 1 jersey. At 5'10, 225 lbs., Scott is also one of the Pack's leaders and most consistent performers in the weight room.
This will be the third straight season the Pack has had a running back recognized as one of the best in the nation. Scott joins the likes of Hollywood Smothers, Jordan Waters, Zonovan Knight, Matthew Dayes, Jamelle Eugene, Andre Brown, Toney Baker, T.A. McLendon and Ray Robinson.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will also 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 2026 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 10, 2026.
The award is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. Each Tuesday of this season, The PwC SMU Athletic Forum will once again announce a Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week.
