The Forgotten is rumbling! Doak Walker Award Watch List Released.

We’re rumbling, bumbling, stumbling to the epic conclusion of Watch List Watch, which receives a merciful end Thursday with the Walter Camp. On deck today, the Doak Walker, which honors college football’s most bad ass running back. Enjoy the list, guys. But seriously, you need to prepare yourself for the end of Watch List Watch. You think you won’t miss it; that you will simply go on with your life without missing a stride. Nope. You’re heart will scream for Watch List Watch! You lips will groan its name as you wander the streets in your filthy bathrobe.

As our glorious custom, we’ve deleted all Power Five candidates from the list so that you may enjoy the Forgotten in all its glory.

The Doak Walker Award

Da Doak™ is presented by SMU, a potential conflict of interest that you’d think would give SMU running back Braeden West an edge. Relax! A Southern Methodist running back has never toted a Doak. The last player to win: D’Onta Foreman of Texas. The last Forgotten to win: well, LaDainian Tomlinson won it for TCU in 2000, when the Horned Frogs were members of the WAC. Does that count?

Ryquell Armstead, Temple

Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan

D’Angelo Brewer, Tulsa

Jordan Chunn, Troy

D’Andre Ferby, WKU

Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan

James Gilbert, Ball State

Ray Lawry, Old Dominion

Tonny Lindsey Jr., Utah State

Saint Juste, Hawaii

Ito Smith, Southern Miss

Terry Swanson, Toledo

Shaq Vann, Eastern Michigan

Warren Wand, Arkansas State

Braeden West, SMU

Marquis Young, Massachusetts

Of the 63 nominees for the Doak Walker, 16 (25%) hail from the Group of Five (or comparable independents). As someone who covers the Sun Belt, I’m surprised to find Appalachian State’s Jalin Moore and New Mexico State’s Larry Rose III excluded from the list. I’ll send a letter to SMU, maybe.

Up Next, July 21: The Walter Camp Award (Presented to the nation’s most outstanding player)

Our Watch will soon be ended.