The Doak Walker Award, given to college football's best running back, announced its preseason watch list Thursday, complete with 61 names.
But Royce Freeman wasn't one of them.
Oregon's senior has 4,146 yards and 44 rushing touchdowns in his career and is 936 yards from surpassing LaMichael James as UO's all-time leading rusher. The Pac-12 freshman of the year in 2014, Freeman became a second-team All-American in 2015 after rushing for a UO-record 1,836 yards. Only three other Ducks running backs have rushed for 1,000 yards in a season twice in their career.
Injuries to his leg and chest last season, however, limited his effectiveness and availability as he rushed for a career-low 945 yards.