Courtesy of WKU Athletics
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football running back Elijah Young has been named a preseason candidate for the 2024 Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday.
The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s most outstanding college running back. The award is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back, Doak Walker, and each Tuesday of the upcoming season the PwC SMU Athletic Forum will announce a Doak Walker National Running Back of the week. The list announced Tuesday features 87 players, and Young is one of three players from Conference USA.
Young made a splash during his first season at WKU in 2023 after transferring from Missouri, where he played three seasons. He played in all 13 games with 10 starts last fall and led the team in rushing with 474 yards and three touchdowns on 104 attempts. He added 247 yards and three touchdowns on 20 receptions.
Young posted a season-best 139 yards and two touchdowns – with a season-long 64-yard run – in WKU’s Nov. 4 victory at UTEP, and carried the ball a season-high 15 times during the Hilltoppers’ win over Sam Houston on Nov. 18. Young had a season-high 84 yards receiving against New Mexico State on Nov. 11, and recorded a touchdown reception in that game – he also had touchdown receptions against Liberty on Oct. 24 and against Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl on Dec. 18. He posted a season-high four receptions twice – against Liberty and at FIU in the regular-season finale on Nov. 25. Young also returned eight kicks for 128 yards.
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.
WKU is scheduled to kick off the 2024 season with a 6 p.m. CT game at Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Hilltoppers will host Eastern Kentucky for their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. CT, and will open CUSA play the following week with a 6 p.m. CT game at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 14.
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