Wake Forest Athletics
Ellison Honored on Doak Walker Watch List
8/9/2023 1:11:00 PM | Football
This marks the second consecutive year that Ellison has been placed on the initial watch list for the nation's best running back.
DALLAS – Wake Forest redshirt junior running back Justice Ellison has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, as announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors Wednesday.
This marks the second consecutive year that Mora has been named to the watch list while also being on multiple preseason All-ACC teams by various outlets. He also marks the fourth Demon Deacon to be listed on a national watch list along with Donavon Greene who was on the Maxwell Award Watch List, Ivan Mora who was on the Ray Guy Award Watch List and Jaylen Hudson who was on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.
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. 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 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards.
The award 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.
More on Justice Ellison
This marks the second-straight season he has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List and goes into his second season as the full-time starter.
Last season, Ellison was voted as a Third-Team All-ACC player after starting in all 10 games he played in 2022, helping lead the team to its seventh consecutive bowl game and back-to-back bowl wins with a victory over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl.
He totaled a career-high and team-high 707 rushing yards while also finding the endzone six times on the ground, posting 4.2 yards per carry and catching six passes for 62 yards.
He tallied a season-high and career-high 114 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a victory over No. 22 Florida State while also adding a catch for 10 yards. Additionally, he ran for 80 yards on 13 carries, including a season-high 45 yard rush against VMI.
