Sun Belt Football: Marcus Carroll and Kimani Vidal Named Doak Walker Award Semifinalists

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Doak Walker National Collegiate Running Back Award on Tuesday afternoon. The award is presented annually to the top running back in FBS. 

The list included two nominees from the Group of Five, both from Sun Belt Conference teams. Those two players are Marcus Carroll of Georgia State and Kimani Vidal of Troy. 

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Carroll is the leading rusher in the SBC with 1,293 yards on 259 carries. The senior has scored 13 touchdowns on the ground and has seven 100-yard games in 2023. Four of those performances have been for 150 or more yards, including a 208-yard performance vs. Georgia Southern. The Atlanta area native has exploded this season for five yards per carry after playing a backup role in each of the last three seasons. 

With 1,280 rushing yards in 238 carries, Vidal is the second-leading rusher in the SBC. He has two games of 245-plus yards rushing and has scored eight touchdowns. Vidal is also averaging a career-high 5.4 yards per carry in 2023.

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Three finalists for the 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced November 28 and the winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8. The formal presentation of the award will take place here on the SMU campus at the annual banquet scheduled for Feb. 16, 2024.