Former Tyler ISD stars Miller, McFall named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Two former Tyler ISD standouts and three East Texans total were named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List on Tuesday.

The honor is awarded annually to the nation’s premier running back.

Alabama’s Jamarion Miller (Tyler Legacy) and SMU’s Derrick McFall (Tyler High) were both named to the watch list, along with North Texas’ Makenzie McGill II (Mount Vernon).

Miller has 219 carries for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he has 21 grabs for 227 yards and two scores. Last season, Miller had 145 carries for 668 yards and seven touchdowns, and he had 16 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Miller and the No. 8 Crimson Tide will open the season against Florida State Aug. 30 in Tallahassee, Florida.

Last season was McFall’s first at SMU, and he had 26 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three catches for 30 yards. McFall is expected to have a bigger role this season for the No. 16 Mustangs, who host East Texas A&M Aug. 30 in Dallas.

McGill made his debut last season for North Texas and had 78 carries for 470 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he made 11 catches for 103 yards. McGill and the Mean Green will host Lamar Aug. 30 in Denton.

Others on the watch list are 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 (Western Kentucky), 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), 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 (Pittsburgh), 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).

Semifinalists will be announced in November. The winner will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12.