Wyoming Running Back Lands on Another Preseason Watch List
LARAMIE -- Wyoming's home-run hitter out of the backfield just landed on another watch list.
Sophomore Samuel Harris is one of 62 candidates this preseason listed by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum as a potential 2026 Doak Walker Award winner, an honor given to the nation's top running back.
The speedster they call "Tote" was also named to the Maxwell Award Watch List earlier this month. That honor is bestowed upon the country's best all-around player.
Since its inception in 1990, backs like Rashaan Salaam, Eddie George, Ricky Williams, LaDainian Tomlinson, Reggie Bush, and most recently, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, have snagged this coveted Doak Walker hardware.
In 2024, Mountain West running back Ashton Jeanty claimed the award after rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns during his final season at Boise State. Another league leader, BYU's Luke Staley, also earned the honor in 2001 after amassing a school record 1,582 yards and 24 trips to the end zone.
"Tote has all those same traits, all those same skills with quite a bit more horsepower in the engine," Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said in April, making the comparison to Xazavian Valladay, who amassed 3,281 rushing yards in his four-year career in Laramie. "Look, we expect him to have a big, big year."
Harris was a preseason All-MW selection by both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports. Harris was Wyoming's leading rusher last season, appearing in 11 games with seven starts. He finished the season with 558 yards on 100 carries for 5.6 yards per rush. He added a rushing score on the season coming in Week 2 against Northern Iowa.
The San Antonio, Texas product also added 184 yards receiving on 16 catches. He rushed for a career-high 126 yards against Colorado with a long of 50. He had four receptions at Air Force for a season best and added 58 yards receiving, including a long of 52, against San Jose State. He also rushed for 102 yards against Fresno State on just 12 carries.
"I feel like whenever you see Tote get the ball, something explosive is bound to happen," redshirt freshman safety Kaiden Kimble-Turner said in April. "He's a special player. Everybody sees it."
The current list features 2025 Doak Walker Award finalist Ahmad Hardy (Missouri). Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns, ranking second nationally in total rushing yards in 2025. The list also includes 2025 Doak Walker Award finalist Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), who rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns while helping the Rebels to a Sugar Bowl victory, and 2025 semifinalists Cam Cook (West Virginia), Cameron Dickey (Texas Tech) and Lucky Sutton (San Diego State).
Wyoming hasn't featured a 1,000-yard back since 2022 when Titus Swen beat that mark by just 39 yards. He also added eight rushing touchdowns.
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 2026 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 10, 2026.
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.
Honoring the legends of sports for 37 years, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum hosts a series of yearly receptions and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
* A UW press release contributed to this article
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