UCLA Football: Bruins RB Added to Doak Walker Award Watchlist

He is entering his junior season.

Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA football running back T.J. Harden has been named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist ahead of the 2024 season. The Doak Walker Award is given out annually at the end of the college football season to the best NCAA running back in the nation. The award is in honor of College Football Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Doak Walker, who starred at SMU.

👀 @TomarionHarden

T.J. Harden is a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top running back.#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/pi1R2O5Vkq

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) August 6, 2024

Harden is expected to become the Bruins' starting running back in 2024, after splitting carries during the 2023 season with Carson Steele. Steele has since left and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Harden is entering his third season with the Bruins and has the edge to get the majority of the carries this season.

Even while splitting carries, Harden managed to rush for 827 yards and eight touchdowns on 156 carries, for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. With a full season as the lead back, Harden has the potential for a 1,000-yard season.

Harden had by far the most rushing yards of any returning running back last season. The next leading rusher among running backs was Anthony Adkins, who had 178 yards on 30 carries a season ago. Keegan Jones followed with 152 yards on just 10 carries for an average of 10.9 yards per carry.

Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster has stated that Jones is expected to have a larger role in this offense. Jones is one of the most explosive weapons on the Bruins but has not gotten the touches to maximize his skill set at this point.

The Bruins did also add transfer running back Jalen Berger recently, but Berger has yet to practice with the team as he returns from a season-ending injury in 2023. Berger has rushed for over 683 yards before in a season, during his 2022 campaign at Michigan State.

Foster has also stated that the running back position battle remains close, though he said that about the majority of position groups on the team. While Harden is likely to split carries with a few other backs, it would be a huge upset if he does not get the majority of the touches in 2024.

Even with a great year, it would take the best season in all of college football for Harden to bring home the award, an award that no Bruin has won before. Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon is the reigning winner, after rushing for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023.