Justice Hill Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Oklahoma State has been in the public eye this summer. And it’s not just because of its head coach’s antics or hairstyle. The Cowboys’ offense could be otherworldly with Heisman candidate Mason Rudolph and maybe the best receiving corps in the college football.

But the biggest reason for optimism for 2017 and beyond is the rising star of Justice Hill.

The Freshman All-American became the Cowboys’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Joseph Randle in 2012, effectively reviving a downtrodden ground game. When he broke Thurman Thomas’ freshman rushing record in Week 11, OSU fans knew they had something special.

Now Hill’s star has been recognized by college football’s awards committees. Hill was named as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award this week, given annually to college football’s best running back. The list includes 61 returning college running backs but only seven underclassmen.

Hill led all FBS freshman with 1,142 yards and added six touchdowns while starting only 10 games. That was the fifth-highest rushing season for any Big 12 freshman and earned him Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-Big 12 honors. He was voted a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and USA Today.

“He’s been huge for us,” said Mason Rudolph recently. “He added some weight this offseason, squatted like 560 pounds this morning. He’s hovering about 200 pounds. He’s a lot bigger than last year.”

Other Big 12 running backs included were Kyle Hicks from TCU and Alex Barnes and Justin Silmon from Kansas State. Ten semifinalists will be announced on November 15 and three finalists on November 20. The winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 7 on ESPN.