Stanford Running Back Added to Doak Walker Watch List

Jason Burke | Aug 7, 2024

Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Stanford Cardinal tight end C.J. Hawkins (88) and running back Ryan Butler (15) celebrate defeating the Colorado Buffaloes in double overtime at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford running back Ryan Butler has been added to the Doak Walker Watch List ahead of the 2024 college football season. The award is presented to the nation’s most outstanding college running back.

Butler spent his freshman season at Princeton where he racked up 484 yards and a touchdown en route to being named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the most impressive first-year in all of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Last season with the Cardinal, Butler appeared in ten games, making two starts, and collected 18 carries on the year for 60 yards on the ground. He added four yards on one reception. His 19 plays for 64 yards gave him an average of 3.4 yards per play.

Butler finished seventh on the team in carries last season. QBs Justin Lamson (120) and Ashton Daniels (109) technically led he way in attempts in 2023, with A&M bound E.J. Smith (53) being the first running back to make an appearance on the leaderboard. Casey Filkins (38) was a senior last year, and Sedrick Irvin (26) will be in the mix as a sophomore. The only other player to finish ahead of Butler was wide receiver Bryce Farrell (21), a senior.

The path to being the guy in the backfield certainly won't be cleared for Butler, with a number of young running backs looking to make their own impressions on The Farm, but being added to the Doak Walker Watch List should mean that he's at least near the top of the depth chart, if not on top, when the season begins on August 30 against TCU.

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 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College
Football Awards on December 12, 2024.