The LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin Cajuns were both well represented on the Doak Walker Preseason watch list, which was announced on Wednesday.
LSU’s Josh Williams and Noah Cain were named to the list while Louisiana’s Dre’Lyn Washington also appeared. The award is given annually to the best running back in college football.
Williams had a breakout season a year ago for the Tigers, rushing for 532 yards and six touchdowns on the season. He rushed for over 100 yards on two occasions last year, both on the road at Florida and at Arkansas.
The Houston native will certainly be a key piece to the LSU offense with Jayden Daniels returning under center for his senior season.
Noah Cain was also placed on the preseason list for LSU. Cain, the Baton Rouge native and Penn State transfer, rushed for 409 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season playing in Death Valley. He had multi-touchdown games against New Mexico, UAB, and Purdue.
For the Cajuns, Washington comes into 2023 as the top returning back from a season ago. He finished 2022 with 364 yards and two touchdowns while splitting time with Chris Smith, Terrance Williams, and more.
Williams will more than likely be the featured back for Louisiana this season, so those numbers should rise for the Hemphill, Texas native.
The Doak Walker Award is presented at the end of every season to the best running back in college football, with Caleb Williams from USC winning in 2022.