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Is Jahiem White a Serious Doak Walker Candidate? One Former WVU RB Thinks So

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 10:53 AM ET

Our guy Eugene Napoleon called it. West Virginia running back Jahiem White has been officially named to the Doak Walker preseason award watch list. Now, if we're being honest, there was no doubt that White would be considered an early candidate for the award, so it wasn't some big, bold prediction. Gene does, however, believe he has a chance to be a finalist for the prestigious award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding running back.

“He’s a young man that has the ability that after contact, he’s still going to churn out yards. Great vision, great balance. Stronger than you would think for a back his size," he said on a recent episode of Between The Eers. "In this particular offense, because of the spacing that they do up front and because of the quick cadence of this offense, he’s going to be at the second to third level a lot quicker than he would in an ordinary style of offense. This fits his abilities and his running style perfectly. Barring injury 1,200-1,300-yard season. And that could be on the low end.”

Finalists for the award will be revealed later in the season, with a date to be determined. If White is pacing for the 1,200-yard mark that Eugene threw out there, then yeah, there's a pretty good chance he'll be among those in the running for the award.

The full watch list

Sedrick Alexander (Vanderbilt), Kaytron Allen (Penn State), Jo'Shon Barbie (Marshall), Jadan Baugh (Florida), CJ Baxter (Texas), Jalen Berger (UCLA), DeSean Bishop (Tennessee), Davon Booth (Mississippi State), Fluff Bothwell (Mississippi State), Alex Broome (Boston College), Isaac Brown (Louisville), Xavier Brown (Virginia), Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Cam Cook (Jacksonville State), Ja'Quez Cross (Arkansas State), Bill Davis (Louisiana), Greg Desrosiers Jr. (Memphis), C.J. Donaldson (Ohio State), Bryson Donelson (Fresno State), Jay Ducker (Temple), Cam Edwards (UConn), Dylan Edwards (Kansas State), Kaden Feagin (Illinois), Nate Frazier (Georgia), Sire Gaines (Boise State), Davion Gause (North Carolina), Julian Gray (Liberty), Marlon Gunn Jr. (East Carolina), Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State), Carson Hanson (Iowa State), Ahmad Hardy (Missouri), George Hart III (WKU), Dallan Hayden (Colorado), Justice Haynes (Michigan), Jamal Haynes (Georgia Tech), Eli Heidenreich (Navy), Roman Hemby (Indiana), Robert Henry Jr. (UTSA), Daniel Hishaw Jr. (Kansas), Makhi Hughes (Oregon), Sedrick Irvin (Stanford), Bryan Jackson (USC), Parker Jenkins (East Carolina).

Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Waymond Jordan (USC), Quinten Joyner (Texas Tech), Aidan Laughery (Illinois), Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), Jordan Marshall (Michigan), Justin Marshall (Colorado State), LJ Martin (BYU), Tony Mathis Jr. (Marshall), Josh McCray (Georgia), Jordan McDonald (Boston College), Derrick McFall (SMU), Makenzie McGill II (North Texas), Jam Miller (Alabama), Devin Mockobee (Purdue), London Montgomery (East Carolina), Myles Montgomery (UCF), Jaquez Moore (Duke), Le'Veon Moss (Texas A&M), Kamari Moulton (Iowa), Jaden Nixon (UCF), Will Nixon (Syracuse), Cartevious Norton (South Florida), Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma), Rueben Owens II (Texas A&M), Lincoln Pare (Texas State), Wayshawn Parker (Utah), Zylan Perry (Louisiana), Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Evan Pryor (Cincinnati), Nolan Ray (Maryland), Desmond Reid (Pitt), Jamal Roberts (Missouri), Braylen Russell (Arkansas), Abu Sama III (Iowa State), Eli Sanders (USC), Gavin Sawchuk (Florida State), Jo Silver (Delaware), Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), Joquez Smith (Temple), Sutton Smith (Memphis), Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State), Terion Stewart (Virginia Tech), Darius Taylor (Minnesota), Alex Tecza (Navy), Star Thomas (Tennessee), Jai'Den Thomas (UNLV), Jaivian Thomas (UCLA), A.J. Turner (Minnesota), Tawee Walker (Cincinnati), Bryson Washington (Baylor), Duke Watson (Louisville), Micah Welch (Colorado), Jahiem White (West Virginia), Noah Whittington (Oregon), Aneyas Williams (Notre Dame), Leshon Williams (Kansas), Yasin Willis (Syracuse), and Terrez Worthy (Temple).