Two Texas Longhorns RBs Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter are expected to make a splash out of the backfield for Texas this season, and emerge as one of the nation's top rushing duos.

Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter (4) gestures after a play against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter the 2024 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter are heading into the 2025 season with expectations to create an explosive backfield, and perhaps one of the best in college football.

With the two backs capable of high ceilings in the coming fall, they both were recently named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, granted to the nation's best running back.

Texas Athletics announced that Baxter and Wisner were named to the watchlist, stating they could be one of the latest in a line of Longhorns to win the award.

Past Longhorns to Win the Doak Walker Award

Texas running backs have an extensive history winning the Doak Walker award, with four former Longhorns taking home the coveted honor.

Ricky Williams was the first back from Texas to take home the award, winning it on two occasions. Williams first won the award in 1997 and, not surprisingly, was awarded the Doak Walker again the following season in 1998, the same year he was awarded the Heisman.

Six years after Williams won the Doak Walker the second time, Cedric Benson was granted the trophy, winning in 2004. In that season, Benson rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns. In that same season Benson was in consideration for the Heisman, but lost out on the trophy to USC quarterback Matt Leinart.

D'Onta Foreman was the third running back out of Austin to claim the trophy, 12 years after Benson. Foreman rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016 with the Longhorns, establishing himself as a dominant force out of the backfield throughout the season.

Bijan Robinson was the latest Texas running back to claim the Doak Walker, winning the award in 2022, and seems to be continuing that success in the NFL. After a standout collegiate career, Robinson has also established himself as one of the best running backs at the professional level after a 2024 season rushing for 1,456 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.

Now either Baxter or Wisner could add their names to the list of Longhorns to win the Doak Walker since its creation in 1990. Both backs will be making their 2025 debut with Texas on August 30, when the Longhorns travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in week one of the college football season.

With Baxter coming back from injury after missing out on the 2024 season, and Wisner rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, the duo will likely split snaps to begin the year.