Florida State’s backfield got a nice dose of national attention Tuesday, as Ousmane Kromah and Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner landed on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list.
The honor, handed out by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum, goes annually to the country’s top college running back. And for FSU, the recognition is especially notable: the Seminoles are one of just seven programs in the nation, and one of only two in the ACC, with multiple players on the list this year.
Kromah is back for his sophomore season after a promising first year in a limited role. As a true freshman in 2025, he played in 12 games and made two starts, carrying the ball 72 times for 408 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per rush. He also contributed in the passing game with nine catches for 147 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown grab for the first score of his college career in Florida State’s 77-3 win over East Texas A&M.
His biggest day on the ground came at Virginia, where he set career highs with 12 carries for 63 yards. After showing enough in his debut season to carve out a place in the rotation, Kromah heads into 2026 with a more defined role.
“I’m very hard on Ous, man, because I know he has all the tools to be very special. And he takes hard coaching," running backs coach Kam Martin said of Kromah during the preseason. "That’s what I love about him."
Wisner brings a far more established resume to Tallahassee. He arrived after three seasons at Texas, where he appeared in 38 games and started 21 of them. Over that stretch, he piled up 1,734 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 369 carries, while also adding 66 receptions for 457 yards and two scores.
Last season, Wisner ran for 597 yards and three touchdowns, and his top performance came in Texas’ win over No. 3 Texas A&M, when he went for a season-best 155 yards. He also earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2024 after topping 1,000 rushing yards and setting a Texas running back record with 44 catches.
Put those two together, and Florida State has a legitimate 1-2 punch heading into the season opener against New Mexico State on August 29.
The Doak Walker Award winner will be revealed during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on December 10.
In Other News...
Peter Warrick Gives Florida State Fans A Powerful Championship Era Reminder
Florida State will use its Oct. 31 game against Clemson to spotlight one of the defining players from its championship run, as Peter Warrick is set to be honored by the school and the National Football Foundation. Warrick, a 2026 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, will receive an NFF Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on display at the university, adding another permanent reminder of the standard he helped establish in Tallahassee.
The recognition is part of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, which brings inductees back to their schools during home games for a formal celebration. For Seminoles fans, it is a chance to revisit an era when Warricks name carried real weight on Saturdays, while also tying that history to a high-profile matchup with Clemson under the lights late in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Bought The ACCs Best Roster But Still Has Everything To Prove
Mario Cristobals Miami program enters the 2026 season carrying the kind of expectation that usually comes with a blue-chip roster and a massive budget, and the Hurricanes have both. They have spent more than $40 million on the roster, the second-highest figure in college football, and the ACCs new revenue distribution setup has only strengthened the financial edge behind that push. From the outside, it looks like a team built to chase a national title right away.
But in the ACC, Miami still has the burden of proof attached to it. The Hurricanes have not won the league since joining in 2004, and even in seasons when the roster was widely viewed as the best in the conference, they never got to the title game. So as the pressure rises and the talent level stays obvious, the question is less about whether Miami looks formidable on paper and more about whether it can finally turn that investment into something the program has never produced in this conference. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Freshmen Are Already Forcing A Bigger Role Conversation
Florida States 2026 recruiting class was the biggest of the Mike Norvell era, and the early chatter out of camp already suggests it may not take long for some of those newcomers to matter. The Seminoles brought in 34 high school and JUCO prospects, and several true freshmen are positioned to help right away, especially at wide receiver and linebacker. Jasen Lopez and Devin Carter have both been part of the early conversation on offense, while the staff is also looking for immediate depth and energy from a young defensive group.
Izayia Williams adds another layer to that mix after working back from an ACL injury, with his return timeline lining up with the season opener against New Mexico State. For a Florida State team trying to build both depth and competition across the roster, those freshman opportunities matter because they can reshape roles before September gets moving. The bigger question now is not whether the class has talent, but how quickly the staff decides to lean on it when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]