UNLV Rebels Running Back Jai'Den Thomas Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

UNLV Rebels running back Jai'Den Thomas has some of the highest expectations of any running back in all of college football entering the 2025 season. He has already been named to the All-Mountain West Preseason Team and has generated a lot of buzz as a potential Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year candidate. Now, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced, Thomas has been named to the preseason 2025 Doak Walker Award watch list.

Doak Walker Award Criteria and Voting

According to the UNLV Rebels official website, "The Forum annually presents the award to the nation's most outstanding college running back. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced later that month. 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 2025 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12."

Thomas looks to build off a season in which he rushed for 918 yards and nine total touchdowns. Seven of those TDs were scored on the ground, while he also tacked one on through the air and added one on a 90-yard kick return. He is expected to take that next big step into superstardom this season and hopefully become one of the best running backs in the nation. The general consensus is that with two unproven quarterbacks competing for the starting job in transfers Alex Orji and Anthony Colandrea, new head coach Dan Mullen is going to design his offense to feature Jet as the main engine of his offensive attack.

If that is the case, all of these awards are on the table. He has a realistic opportunity to compete to be named First Team-All Mountain West, All-American, Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, and even the 2025 Doak Walker Award winner. Of course, none of this is a given, but he has the talent and work ethic to get himself in the conversation if he plays up to his potential. We also trust that this current coaching staff is going to do everything in their power to put him in the best possible situation to succeed in their offense.

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