Gophers' Darius Taylor named as preseason Doak Walker Award candidate

The award is given to the most outstanding running back in college football.

Jul 25, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released the preseason candidates for the 2024 Doak Walker Award on Tuesday. Awarded annually to the most outstanding running back in college football, Gophers star Darius Taylor was one of more than 80 players recognized on the watchlist.

NEWS: #Gophers star RB Darius Taylor (@Dariustay1or) is one of 88 players named to the 2024 @DoakWalkerAward Watchlist.

He averaged 159.2 rushing yards per game in his five starts last season as a true freshman. https://t.co/VFFSSRvT4g pic.twitter.com/I3SY2XMLqb

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 6, 2024

Taylor broke onto the scene as a true freshman last year for the Gophers. He recorded 799 rushing yards and five touchdowns on only 138 carries. He capped off his campaign with 35 carries for 208 yards and a score in Minnesota's bowl-game win over Bowling Green, earning Quick Lane Bowl MVP.

Taylor dealt with injuries for much of last season, missing seven total regular-season games. The Gophers' staff has reiterated that it plans to shrink his workload after adding a trio of transfer running back options from the portal this offseason.

Ultimately, the Gophers have relied heavily on the running game every season since P.J. Fleck took over the program in 2017. All signs point towards Taylor having a potentially monster season in 2024.