Iowa’s backfield leader is getting national recognition before the season even kicks off.
Kamari Moulton, entering his fourth year with the Hawkeyes, has landed on the 2026 Doak Walker Award watch list. The award goes each year to the country’s top college running back and is named after SMU great Doak Walker, a three-time All-American.
Moulton gives Iowa a proven option at tailback. The 5-foot-9, 211-pound runner from Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla., led the Hawkeyes on the ground in 2026, piling up 170 carries for 878 yards and five rushing scores. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
The Cardinal Gibbons product was also voted onto Iowa’s leadership council last year and again this season.
The award process will tighten later in the fall. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will announce 10 semifinalists in November, followed by three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, also in November.
The committee will then cast a second vote in December to choose the winner. The recipient of the 2026 Doak Walker Award will be announced on Dec.
10, 2026.
Iowa has had its share of Doak Walker attention before. Former Hawkeye Shonn Greene won the award in 2008, while Kaleb Johnson was a finalist in 2024 and Albert Young reached semifinalist status in 2005.
The Hawkeyes open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at Kinnick Stadium against Northern Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT.
In Other News...
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VandeMerkts arrival matters because the evaluation is happening collaboratively, with Iowa trying to identify the starter who gives the group the best chance to move forward. For a program that has long valued steady play under center, the timing of a fresh set of eyes is notable, especially as Lester and VandeMerkt work through the competition together. The next step is simple to say and harder to finish: finding out which quarterback separates himself when the coaching staff makes its call. [Read more 🡒]
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Former Hawkeye Drew Stevens Just Gave Iowa Fans A New NFL Reason To Watch
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Washingtons move also came with a clear message for the rest of the kicking competition, as the Commanders released former kicker Jake Moody. For Iowa supporters, Stevens rise is another reminder of how much trust he built in Iowa City, and it gives them a new reason to keep an eye on Washington whenever the kicking game comes into play. [Read more 🡒]