The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football’s Baxter, Blue named to Doak Walker Award watch list
08.06.2024 | Football
The duo was tabbed to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college running back.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas running back duo CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue were placed on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding college running back.
Baxter and Blue look to join a prestigious quartet of Longhorns who have won the Doak Walker Award, which began in 1990. Ricky Williams was a two-time winner, bringing home the trophy in 1997 and 1998, while Cedric Benson collected it in 2004, D'Onta Foreman won the honor in 2016, and Bijan Robinson earned the honor in 2022. Texas' five all-time Doak Walker Award trophies are tied for the most by an FBS school with Wisconsin. Last season, former UT running back Jonathon Brooks was named a semifinalist for the award. Baxter and Blue are the second Texas running back duo to be selected to the preseason watch list for the award in the last three years, along with Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson in 2022.
Baxter is a second-year running back from Orlando, Fla., who has played in 12 games with six starts. As a true freshman in 2023, Baxter earned a second-team All-America nod by The Athletic, Freshman All-American Honorable mention by College Football Network, and honorable mention All-Big 12 honors, in addition to being honorable mention Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. Baxter also received preseason second-team All-SEC accolades on offense in July. In his first season on the 40 Acres, Baxter ran the ball 138 times for 659 yards (4.8 ypc) and five touchdowns while also catching 24 passes for 156 yards. His 659 rushing yards are the 12th-most for a Longhorn freshman in program history. Making the start at running back in Texas' season-opening victory against Rice on Sept. 2, 2023, he became the first true freshman running back to start for the Longhorns since Ricky Williams in 1995. In the win versus Kansas State, he had 10 carries for 90 yards and one touchdown, including a 54-yard run. In the road victory at Iowa State, he established career highs in carries (20), rushing yards (117) and receptions (5), recording the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career. In the College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 2 Washington in the Sugar Bowl, he rushed nine times for 64 yards (7.1ypc) and one touchdown, while hauling in two passes for 39 yards, including a career-long 31-yard reception.
A third-year running back from Houston, Texas, Blue has played in 23 games throughout his career. In addition to receiving preseason praise from the Doak Walker Award, Blue was tabbed to the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award and garnered preseason third-team All-SEC accolades as an all-purpose player in July. As a sophomore in 2023, Blue played in all 14 games and rushed 65 times for 398 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. In Texas' 57-7 win at home versus Texas Tech on Nov. 24, Blue put together a career-best performance with 10 carries for 121 yards and one touchdown while also bursting for a career-long 69-yard run. His performance against the Red Raiders also marked his first career 100-yard game. In the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma State, he carried the ball 10 times for 33 yards and recorded three receptions for a then-career-high 38 receiving yards to go along with his first career receiving touchdown. In the College Football Playoff semifinal versus No. 2 Washington, Blue ran the ball nine times for 59 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and one touchdown. He also caught four passes for a career-high 45 yards and returned three kickoffs for 80 yards, including a career-long 31-yard return, in the Sugar Bowl against the Huskies.
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 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12, 2024.
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.
The Longhorns kick off the season at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 31, at home against Colorado State. The game will air on ESPN from inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
