Dye, Verdell Added To Doak Walker Award Watch List

DALLAS — Oregon's veteran running back duo of Travis Dye and CJ Verdell has been added to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top running back.
 
This is the first Walker Award watch list appearance for Dye, and third consecutive for Verdell. Oregon has had a running back earn semifinalist status for the award five times since 2010, highlighted by LaMichael James winning in 2010.
 
Verdell enters 2021 with 2,523 career rushing yards, good for No. 9 on the Oregon all-time list and just 23 yards away from passing Ricky Whittle (2,545, 1992-95) for No. 8. The Chula Vista, Calif., native became just the fifth Duck ever to rush for 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019, and his 21 career rushing touchdowns are just two away from cracking the UO all-time top 10.
 
Dye was Oregon's most productive offensive player in the shortened 2020 season, leading the Ducks with 443 rushing yards and finishing as the only Pac-12 player with at least 400 yards rushing and 200 yards receiving (239). Dye became the first UO running back since 2012 with four receiving touchdowns in a season, and he enters 2021 with 1,840 career rushing yards, 467 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.