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Beal-Smith Tabbed To Doak Walker Award Watch List

7/21/2021 10:00:00 AM | Football

The redshirt junior produced a breakout campaign in 2020, leading the Deacs in rushing yards and rushing yards per game.

DALLAS, Texas -- Redshirt junior running back Christain Beal-Smith was tabbed to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, as announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday morning.

This marks the fourth consecutive year a Demon Deacon has been named to the preseason list for the annual award given to the nation's top running back (Kenneth Walker III- 2020, Cade Carney-2019, and Matt Colburn II-2018). 

Additionally, Beal-Smith is one of just 10 candidates from the ACC. 

The redshirt junior had a breakout campaign in 2020, leading Wake Forest in rushing yards (732) and rushing yards per game (81.2). His 5.16 yards per carry last season ranked 11th in program history. 

Beal-Smith went over the century mark three times in nine games including a career day against Campbell to help the Demon Deacons kickoff a perfect 4-0 record in the month. He totaled 130 yards in the game while finding the endzone three times as Wake Forest had its highest single-game scoring total in the modern era, tallying 66 points.

In his career, the Winston-Salem product has averaged 4.96 yards per carry, ranking third in Wake Forest history.

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 be announced in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. 

Wake Forest on National Watch Lists

Beal-Smith Preseason All-ACC Honors

  • Lindy's Sports (First Team)

  •  Athlon Sports (Second Team)

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