Eastern Michigan Athletics
Bennett Named 2026 Doak Walker Award Candidate
8/18/2026 9:00:00 AM | Football
Eastern Michigan running back earns preseason recognition for the nation's top running back award
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan University running back Braydon Bennett (Greenville, S.C./Southside/Coastal Carolina/Virginia Tech) has been named a 2026 Doak Walker Award Candidate, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Monday, Aug. 17. The award is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding college football running back.
Bennett is one of 68 running backs from across the Football Bowl Subdivision named to the 2026 preseason candidate list. He brings six seasons of collegiate experience and 48 career games to Ypsilanti after stops at Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech.
The Greenville, S.C., native has totaled 1,962 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 325 career carries, averaging 6.04 yards per rush. He has also recorded 77 receptions for 771 yards and four touchdowns.
Bennett enters his first season with the Eagles after joining the program as a transfer from Virginia Tech. He enrolled at EMU for the Winter 2026 semester and appeared in four games for the Hokies in 2025, scoring on a three-yard touchdown run against Wofford.
Before his time at Virginia Tech, Bennett established himself as a productive offensive weapon at Coastal Carolina. In 2024, he rushed for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games while averaging nearly six yards per carry. He added 25 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with 13 total touchdowns to lead the Chanticleers and earning All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention honors.
Bennett also produced 636 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games during the 2021 season. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry and added 24 receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded a career-high 128 rushing yards and a touchdown against Georgia State before rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on six carries in Coastal Carolina's Cure Bowl victory over Northern Illinois.
A versatile back throughout his career, Bennett has contributed as both a runner and receiver. He owns 2,733 career yards from scrimmage and 29 total touchdowns.
Bennett was a standout at Southside High School in Greenville, S.C., where he led Class AAA in South Carolina with 2,048 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 214 carries as a junior in 2018. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry and 157.5 rushing yards per game while adding 14 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He also excelled in track and field, winning state championships in the 110-meter hurdles in 2018 and 2019.
The 2026 candidate list features several of the nation's top running backs, including 2025 Doak Walker Award finalists Ahmad Hardy of Missouri and Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss. Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, while Lacy totaled 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns.
University athletic departments nominate candidates for the Doak Walker Award and may continue to submit candidates through October. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select 10 semifinalists in November, followed by three finalists later in the month. The 2026 recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 10.
Named in honor of SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker, the award recognizes the nation's most outstanding college running back. The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association.
The complete list of candidates is below.
Ajay Allen (Sr.), Western Kentucky
Jabari Bates (Sr.), San Jose State
Jadan Baugh (Jr.), Florida
Braydon Bennett (Sr.), Eastern Michigan
Vaughn Blue (Jr.), Central Michigan
Mel Brown (Sr.), Colorado State
Raleek Brown (Sr.), Texas
Kenyon Clay (Sr.), Arkansas State
Cam Cook (Sr.), West Virginia
Manny Covey (Jr.), Memphis
Kam Davis (So.), Liberty
Jordon Davison (So.), Oregon
Evan Dickens (Jr.), Boston College
Cameron Dickey (Jr.), Texas Tech
Cam Edwards (Sr.), Michigan State
Dylan Edwards (Jr.), Kansas
Leonard Farrow (Sr.), Florida Atlantic
Mark Fletcher Jr. (Sr.), Miami
Matt Fuller (So.), South Carolina
Ashton Grey (Jr.), East Carolina
Carson Hansen (Sr.), Penn State
Ahmad Hardy (Jr.), Missouri
Samuel Harris (So.), Wyoming
Caleb Hawkins (So.), Oklahoma State
Marcellous Hawkins (Sr.), Virginia Tech
Justice Haynes (Sr.), Georgia Tech
Malachi Hosley (Sr.), Georgia Tech
Makhi Hughes (Sr.), Houston
Fame Ijeboi (So.), Purdue
Bo Jackson (So.), Ohio State
Telly Johnson Jr. (Jr.), NIU
Peyton Jones (Jr.), Liberty
Demon June (Fr.), North Carolina
Wayne Knight (Sr.), UCLA
Ousmane Kromah (So.), Florida State
Kewan Lacy (Jr.), Ole Miss
Peyton Lewis (Jr.), Virginia
Khobie Martin (So.), Indiana
CJ Miller (Jr.), Toledo
Adam Mohammed (Jr.), California
Kamari Moulton (Jr.), Iowa
AJ Newberry (Jr.), Oregon State
Godspower Nwawuihe (So.), Army
James Peoples (Jr.), Penn State
George Pettaway (Sr.), James Madison
Kendrick Raphael (Sr.), SMU
Kedrick Reescano (Sr.), Arizona
Turbo Richard (Jr.), Indiana
Devin Roche (Jr.), Old Dominion
Jayden Scott (So.), NC State
Sutton Smith (Sr.), Arkansas
Hollywood Smothers (Jr.), Texas
Lucky Sutton (Sr.), San Diego State
Herschel Turner (Jr.), Nevada
Kanye Udoh (Sr.), Liberty
Ca'Lil Valentine (Jr.), Illinois
Duke Watson (Jr.), UCF
Jahiem White (Sr.), North Texas
DeJuan Williams (So.), Maryland
Yasin Willis (Jr.), Kansas
Quintrevion Wisner (Sr.), Florida State
Richard Young (Sr.), Colorado
Bennett is one of 68 running backs from across the Football Bowl Subdivision named to the 2026 preseason candidate list. He brings six seasons of collegiate experience and 48 career games to Ypsilanti after stops at Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech.
The Greenville, S.C., native has totaled 1,962 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 325 career carries, averaging 6.04 yards per rush. He has also recorded 77 receptions for 771 yards and four touchdowns.
Bennett enters his first season with the Eagles after joining the program as a transfer from Virginia Tech. He enrolled at EMU for the Winter 2026 semester and appeared in four games for the Hokies in 2025, scoring on a three-yard touchdown run against Wofford.
Before his time at Virginia Tech, Bennett established himself as a productive offensive weapon at Coastal Carolina. In 2024, he rushed for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games while averaging nearly six yards per carry. He added 25 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with 13 total touchdowns to lead the Chanticleers and earning All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention honors.
Bennett also produced 636 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games during the 2021 season. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry and added 24 receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded a career-high 128 rushing yards and a touchdown against Georgia State before rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on six carries in Coastal Carolina's Cure Bowl victory over Northern Illinois.
A versatile back throughout his career, Bennett has contributed as both a runner and receiver. He owns 2,733 career yards from scrimmage and 29 total touchdowns.
Bennett was a standout at Southside High School in Greenville, S.C., where he led Class AAA in South Carolina with 2,048 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 214 carries as a junior in 2018. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry and 157.5 rushing yards per game while adding 14 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He also excelled in track and field, winning state championships in the 110-meter hurdles in 2018 and 2019.
The 2026 candidate list features several of the nation's top running backs, including 2025 Doak Walker Award finalists Ahmad Hardy of Missouri and Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss. Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, while Lacy totaled 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns.
University athletic departments nominate candidates for the Doak Walker Award and may continue to submit candidates through October. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select 10 semifinalists in November, followed by three finalists later in the month. The 2026 recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 10.
Named in honor of SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker, the award recognizes the nation's most outstanding college running back. The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association.
The complete list of candidates is below.
Ajay Allen (Sr.), Western Kentucky
Jabari Bates (Sr.), San Jose State
Jadan Baugh (Jr.), Florida
Braydon Bennett (Sr.), Eastern Michigan
Vaughn Blue (Jr.), Central Michigan
Mel Brown (Sr.), Colorado State
Raleek Brown (Sr.), Texas
Kenyon Clay (Sr.), Arkansas State
Cam Cook (Sr.), West Virginia
Manny Covey (Jr.), Memphis
Kam Davis (So.), Liberty
Jordon Davison (So.), Oregon
Evan Dickens (Jr.), Boston College
Cameron Dickey (Jr.), Texas Tech
Cam Edwards (Sr.), Michigan State
Dylan Edwards (Jr.), Kansas
Leonard Farrow (Sr.), Florida Atlantic
Mark Fletcher Jr. (Sr.), Miami
Matt Fuller (So.), South Carolina
Ashton Grey (Jr.), East Carolina
Carson Hansen (Sr.), Penn State
Ahmad Hardy (Jr.), Missouri
Samuel Harris (So.), Wyoming
Caleb Hawkins (So.), Oklahoma State
Marcellous Hawkins (Sr.), Virginia Tech
Justice Haynes (Sr.), Georgia Tech
Malachi Hosley (Sr.), Georgia Tech
Makhi Hughes (Sr.), Houston
Fame Ijeboi (So.), Purdue
Bo Jackson (So.), Ohio State
Telly Johnson Jr. (Jr.), NIU
Peyton Jones (Jr.), Liberty
Demon June (Fr.), North Carolina
Wayne Knight (Sr.), UCLA
Ousmane Kromah (So.), Florida State
Kewan Lacy (Jr.), Ole Miss
Peyton Lewis (Jr.), Virginia
Khobie Martin (So.), Indiana
CJ Miller (Jr.), Toledo
Adam Mohammed (Jr.), California
Kamari Moulton (Jr.), Iowa
AJ Newberry (Jr.), Oregon State
Godspower Nwawuihe (So.), Army
James Peoples (Jr.), Penn State
George Pettaway (Sr.), James Madison
Kendrick Raphael (Sr.), SMU
Kedrick Reescano (Sr.), Arizona
Turbo Richard (Jr.), Indiana
Devin Roche (Jr.), Old Dominion
Jayden Scott (So.), NC State
Sutton Smith (Sr.), Arkansas
Hollywood Smothers (Jr.), Texas
Lucky Sutton (Sr.), San Diego State
Herschel Turner (Jr.), Nevada
Kanye Udoh (Sr.), Liberty
Ca'Lil Valentine (Jr.), Illinois
Duke Watson (Jr.), UCF
Jahiem White (Sr.), North Texas
DeJuan Williams (So.), Maryland
Yasin Willis (Jr.), Kansas
Quintrevion Wisner (Sr.), Florida State
Richard Young (Sr.), Colorado
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