Betting Odds and Prediction for the Doak Walker Award

By Nick Pappas Published: Aug 22, 2023, Updated: Aug 23, 2023

Who’s going to be the best running back this season in college football? The latest Doak Walker Award betting odds indicate that several players are in contention. Leading the way is Quinshon Judkins, a semi-finalist for the coveted prize last season.

I pay special attention to him and several other likely winners in this article before sharing my Doak Walker Award prediction. Will Judkins claim the top honor for running backs in college football this season? Is there another contender you should target? Let’s find out!

2023 Doak Walker Award Betting Odds

Quinshon Judkins; +500
Raheim Sanders; +700
Nicholas Singleton; +900
Braelon Allen; +900
Blake Corum; +1200
Trey Benson; +1200

According to the Doak Walker Award 2023 odds, Quinshon Judkins is the favorite. The sophomore from Ole Miss is ahead of Raheim Sanders, also an SEC running back. Both players carried the ball over 220 times in 2022-23.

Nicholas Singleton and Braelon Allen share the same odds at +900. They both rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored at least 11 touchdowns last season. Allen and Singleton also compete together in the Big Ten Conference.

The odds used in this article are from the Bovada sportsbook, so visit the bookie if you instantly see a price you like.

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Quinshon Judkins

Age: 19
Team: Ole Miss Rebels
2022-23 Rushing Stats: 1,567 yards, 16 TDs

The best college football betting sites all agree that Judkins has the best chance of claiming the award. That’s because his freshman year at Ole Miss was sensational, to say the least. Judkins was also just 13 yards behind Bijan Robinson, who won the award last season.

The RB captured the SEC Freshman of the Year award and earned All-SEC First-Team honors. He also led Ole Miss to victories over Auburn, Kentucky, and Texas A&M. His best game was against Arkansas – Judkins rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown.

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Judkins is without question a top contender for the Doak Walker Award. However, Ole Miss also needs to win more than eight games for him to become the winner. Historically speaking, the Doak Walker Award often goes to players on successful teams.

Raheim Sanders

Age: 21
Team: Arkansas Razorbacks
2022-23 Rushing Stats: 1,443 yards, 10 TDs

Here’s another elite player who could become a prime candidate for the Doak Walker Award. Raheim Sanders was one of the top playmakers for the Razorbacks last season. He ran for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns, a huge improvement from his freshman season.

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In 2022-23, Sanders was 13th in the entire nation in rushing. He also had fewer touchdowns than any semi-finalist for the award last season except for Deuce Vaughn and Chase Brown. Sanders is a great player, but his current production needs to improve.

Winners of the Doak Walker Award typically score 15 TDs or more. Also, the average rushing production is typically around 1,800 yards for the previous 10 recipients. I think Sanders could match those numbers, but he’s got to be more efficient.

Will Sanders receive more opportunities and increase his production this season? I think that depends on how Arkansas uses him in the offense. The Razorbacks also have depth at wide receiver, which could affect Sanders’ output.

Nicholas Singleton

Age: 19
Team: Penn State Nittany Lions
2022-23 Rushing Stats: 1,061 yards, 12 TDs

During his freshman season, Nicholas Singleton was incredibly productive. He found the end zone 12 times and won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Singleton exceeded expectations, and his production could greatly increase in 2022-23.

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Here’s another factor to consider - former Penn State QB Sean Clifford just entered the NFL. That means QB Drew Allar will take over the offense. Allar lacks experience, so I expect the offense this year to be run-heavy.

Singleton had to split carries with Kaytron Allen in 2022-23, which affected his production. Will Singleton get the bulk of the carries this season? That depends on how Penn State uses the two running backs. Ultimately, it looks like Singleton could share carries again with Allen.

Braelon Allen

Age: 19
Team: Wisconsin Badgers
2022-23 Rushing Stats: 1,242 yards, 11 TDs

Braelon Allen was a major contributor in Wisconsin’s run game last season. He was the team’s top rusher, finishing with 769 more yards than RB2 Chez Mellusi. Allen is also coming off his second consecutive season with over 1,200 rushing yards.

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Unfortunately, Allen suffered an injury towards the end of the 2022-23 season. He tweaked his ankle against Nebraska and sat out the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Allen was then able to bounce back, rushing for 116 yards in Wisconsin’s bowl game.

If there’s a player that history favors, it’s Allen. The school with the most winners of the Doak Walker Award is Wisconsin (five total). The Badger that most recently captured the prestigious honor was Jonathan Taylor in 2019.

I think Allen will have the best shot at claiming the Doak Walker Award if he stays healthy. He’ll need around 275 carries to make it happen, but Wisconsin tends to run the ball a lot anyway. Allen has been consistently productive, and I expect him to rush for at least 1,500 yards.

Blake Corum

Age: 22
Team: Michigan Wolverines
2022-23 Rushing Stats: 1463 yards, 18 TDs

Blake Corum was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award in 2022-23. He also played a huge role in Michigan winning the Big Ten championship and was a unanimous All-American and a Heisman trophy frontrunner.

Unfortunately, Corum suffered a knee injury against Illinois last season in late November. He then carried the ball just twice against Ohio State in his next game. Corum would then miss the Big Ten title game and the college football playoff.

I think Corum is still an intriguing candidate for this season’s Doak Walker Award. The guy can score touchdowns like it’s nobody’s business. I also expect Corum to be the centerpiece of Michigan’s run game once again.

Doak Walker Award Prediction and Betting Pick

My Doak Walker Award prediction is that Braelon Allen will be the best college running back in 2023-24. Think about it – four of the previous 11 winners played in Wisconsin. It seems inevitable that another Badger will claim the top prize once again.

Allen also plays in a system that favors running backs. If he can maximize his full potential, he’ll be a top candidate for the award. Allen is also a downhill runner with incredible speed for a player at 240 pounds. He’s simply going to mow down defenders this season.