UNIVERSITY RELEASE — Originally published by Ole Miss Athletics, Aug. 18, 2026.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced its preseason candidates for the 2026 Doak Walker Award on Tuesday, and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy is among them. The award goes annually to the nation’s most outstanding running back.
Lacy was a finalist for the same award at the end of last season, when he set two program records with 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on his way to first-team All-America honors.
The Dallas native has stacked up preseason recognition through August. He sits on the watch lists for both the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards, has drawn first-team All-America honors from Walter Camp, ESPN, On3, Athlon and Phil Steele, and picked up first-team all-conference selections from numerous outlets.
Ten semifinalists arrive in November with three finalists named shortly after. The 2026 winner will be announced Dec. 10 on the Home Depot College Football Awards show.
Ole Miss opens the season Sept. 6 against Louisville at 6:30 p.m. CT at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
📄 Read the full university release: Kewan Lacy Named to Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List → (OleMissSports.com)