Cox Lands on Doak Walker Preseason Watch List
For the second time in as many weeks, Appalachian State University football running back Marcus Cox (Dacula, Ga./Dacula) was named to a second preseason award watch list on Thursday, this time garnering recognition on the Doak Walker Award Watch List.
 
Cox was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List just last week.
 
Cox is one of 80 of the top tailbacks in the country and one of five running backs from the Sun Belt that are on the list. Joining Cox from the SBC is Jordan Chunn (Troy), Matt Breida (Georgia Southern), Larry Rose III (New Mexico State) and Jordan Rose (New Mexico State).
 
The App State tailback ranked 13th in the nation in rushing yards per game (118.6), 17th in rushing yards (1,423) and 20th in all-purpose yards per game (131.92).  Cox was one of the top backs in the Sun Belt, as he ranked third in rushing yards and rushing yards per game. The workhorse eclipsed the century mark in rushing in eight of 12 games, including an impressive 24 carry, 162-yard performance in the Apps’ thrilling 31-29 win over Ohio in the 2015 Camellia Bowl.
 
App State's rushing offense was the sixth best in the nation averaging 271.5 yards per game and an average of 5.83 yards per rush.
 
Cox is the only student-athlete in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. Going into his final year, he is just 717 yards away the all-time rushing record of 4,804 rushing yards, held by Kevin Richardson (2004-07), and Cox needs just one more game of 100 yards to break his tie with John Settle (1983-86) for the most all-time at 23.
 
Coming off an impressive 11-2 campaign in 2015 with a Camellia Bowl win over Ohio (31-29) and setting the record for the most wins in the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers return 17 starters. App State opens up the 2016 season on the road against Tennessee in Knoxville on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Doak Walker Award Names Wand to Watch List
JONESBORO, Ark. (7/14/16) – Arkansas State sophomore running back Warren Wand has been named to the 2016 Doak Walker Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top running back.
 
Wand was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Newcomer team in 2015 after finishing second on the A-State roster with 709 yards. His total was the most by an A-State freshman since Lamont Zachary ran for 846 yards in 1996. He also finished the season by collecting 50 or more rushing yards in seven straight games and ran for a career-high 119 yards against Georgia State.
 
The Edmond, Okla., native was third on the team with five rushing touchdowns and was one of three Red Wolves’ running backs to average better than 6.0 yards per carry on the year. Wand also finished third on the team with 891 all-purpose yards, including 135 receiving yards. He recorded one of two A-State rushing touchdowns during the New Orleans Bowl and also led the team in rushing in the game.
 
Wand is the fifth Arkansas State player to be named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. Jonathan Adams and Michael Gordon were each two-time nominees for the award, while Reggie Arnold was a three-time nominee. David Oku was also named the watch list in 2013.
 
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on November 16, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on November 22. The committee will cast a second vote beginning November 28 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 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2017.
 
The award, which will name its 27th recipient in 2016, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
 
Arkansas State will kick off its season with a home game against Toledo on Friday, Sept. 2. Season tickets for the Red Wolves’ 2016 football campaign, which includes six home games, are available for purchase. Arkansas State has strung together 11 consecutive years with a winning home record dating back to 2005 and has won 26 of its last 30 games at Centennial Bank Stadium.
 
Breida Named a Candidate for Doak Walker Award
Georgia Southern senior running back Matt Breida has been named a candidate for the 2016 Doak Walker Award, it was announced today by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum. The award is given to the nation's best running back, and Alabama's Derrick Henry won it in 2015. Breida was a semifinalist for the award in 2014 and was a nominee for the award last year.
 
Breida led both the nation and Sun Belt in rushing yards per carry at 7.9 yards last year and led the nation in 2013 as well. A First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection for the second year in a row, he led the Eagles with 1,608 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The Brooksville, Florida, native had seven 100-yard rushing games and has already been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List earlier this summer.
 
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists on Nov. 16, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 22. The committee will cast a second vote beginning Nov. 28 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 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2017.
 
The award, which will name its 27th recipient in 2016, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
 
McGuire Named Preseason Candidate For Doak Walker Award
UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns running back Elijah McGuire earned his third preseason honor heading into the 2016 season as the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced on Thursday the preseason candidates for the 2016 Doak Walker Award. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.
 
McGuire, who was named to both the Maxwell Award Watch List and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, rushed for a team-high 1,058 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns while hauling in 34 passes and three TDs.
 
He joined former Ragin’ Cajuns great Tyrell Fenroy (2005-08) as the second running back in school to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and finished sixth in the Sun Belt in rushing (87.2) and was seventh in the league in all-purpose yards (119.2).
 
McGuire recorded three 100-yard rushing games on the season, including 162 yards with a school-record tying five TDs in the Ragin’ Cajuns home opener against Northwestern State. He added a season-high 170 yards on a career-high 28 carries in a Sun Belt Conference-opening victory against Texas State and gained 159 yards against New Mexico State.
 
The Houma, La., native, who is third on the school’s all-time rushing list with 3,185 yards, became the first running back in Ragin’ Cajuns history to record 100 receptions in a career and finished the season as one of two active NCAA players with 3,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.
 
NM State’s Rose III Named to Doak Walker Watch List
NM State running back Larry Rose III has been selected as a preseason candidate for the 2016 Doak Walker Award, announced the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Thursday. This award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back. Rose III was also placed on the Maxwell Award watch list at the beginning of July.
 
After completing an outstanding sophomore year in which he led the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) with 1,651 rushing yards on 240 carries, Rose III was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team. He was the only SBC student-athlete chosen for this prestigious honor following the 2015 season. Rose III was also the first Aggie to earn this recognition since Karl Dean, who was selected to the Third Team in both 1974 and 1975.
 
In addition to All-American honors and leading the league in rushing yards, Rose III scored a career-high 14 touchdowns and was named the SBC’s Offensive Player of the Year. After running for 1,102 yards as a freshman, Rose III became the first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher for NM State since Denvis Manns rushed for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons (1995-98).
 
The Fairfield, Texas, native broke the NM State all-time single season rushing record just 10 weeks into the season with a 191-yard performance against UL-Lafayette. Overall, Rose III finished the season ranked sixth all-time in SBC single season rushing yards.
 
The sophomore racked up three 200-yard rushing games and seven 100-yard rushing games. He rushed for a career-high 260 yards against Rio Grande rival New Mexico, but the highlight of his season was a 212-yard, four touchdown rushing performance against Idaho on Oct. 31. Rose III scored two touchdowns in the final 3:56 of the game to force overtime. He then added a touchdown in extra time to guide NM State to victory.
 
Rose III also had a league-leading 1,934 all-purpose yards. He had four 200-yard all-purpose games and nine 100-yard all-purpose games. Rose III earned back-to-back SBC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week awards after standout performances against Idaho and Texas State.
 
Additionally, Rose III garnered 283 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 receptions. This included a flat-pattern pass, which Rose III carried 77 yards for a touchdown at Texas State.
 
Troy’s Jordan Chunn Named to Doak Walker Watch List
Troy junior running back Jordan Chunn has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, the SMU Athletic Forum announced Thursday morning. The Doak Walker Award is presented annually to the nation’s top college running back.
 
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 2016 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8, on ESPN.
 
Chunn, a native of Gurley, Ala., enters his junior season with 21 rushing touchdowns on just 246 career carries – an average of one touchdown every 11.7 carries. He combined for 20 touchdowns and 1,019 yards on 239 carries his freshman and sophomore seasons before an injury cut short his 2015 season after only seven carries.
 
He burst onto the national scene his freshman season after rushing for 14 touchdowns on just 128 carries. Chunn’s touchdown total was the most by any freshman in the country and the 19th most overall. His impressive debut landed him on the College Football News Freshman All-America Team.
 
Chunn enters the 2016 season in sixth place on Troy’s career rushing touchdown list and finds himself just 13 trips to the end zone shy of tying Joe Jackson (1994-97) for the Troy career record.
 
Troy opens the 2016 season on Sept. 3 when it plays host to Austin Peay in the first of six home games in Veterans Memorial Stadium.