Dejuan Williams is no longer just a promising name in Maryland’s backfield. His spot on the Doak Walker Award Watch List says the rest of college football is starting to catch up to what the Terps have already seen: a young running back with burst, balance, toughness and a game that keeps expanding.
That kind of recognition matters because the Doak Walker Award is reserved for the nation’s top running back, with production, classroom success and community impact all part of the mix. The award is named for SMU legend and three-time All-American Doak Walker, and last season Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love took home the honor after leading the Fighting Irish offense with toughness and consistency.
For Williams, the watch list nod is more than a preseason courtesy. It puts him on a national stage and confirms that his rise has moved well beyond the “breakout candidate” label. Maryland has a real centerpiece here, and evaluators around the country now view him as one of the position’s emerging stars.
The case for Williams is built on what he already did in 2025. He piled up 927 all-purpose yards and caught 45 passes for 426 yards, leading all Big Ten running backs in receptions and rewriting Maryland’s record book in the process. He passed Bruce Perry’s long-standing single-season receiving yard mark for a Terps running back and finished second all-time in receptions at the position.
He also showed up when the moments got bigger. Williams had 86 receiving yards at UCLA, ripped off a 55-yard touchdown against No.
2 Indiana and posted a career-best rushing performance at Rutgers. Add touchdowns against Towson, Nebraska and Michigan State, and the picture gets clearer: this wasn’t a back who flashed here and there.
He was a steady source of production for Maryland all season, and that earned him Maryland’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award.
The seeds of this were there even earlier. In limited action in 2024, Williams scored in his college debut and turned a 24-yard run at Minnesota into one of the first real signs of what was coming. Those snaps hinted at a player who was ready sooner than expected, and the next season proved it.
Now the stage is even bigger. Williams enters 2026 with the kind of profile that suggests a true leap is coming, especially with Maryland’s offense looking for a new identity. He has the chance to become the player everything else revolves around, and his blend of explosiveness and receiving ability gives the Terps a threat defenses have to track every snap.
That versatility is what makes him such an appealing watch list selection. Williams can hurt teams on the ground or in the passing game, and that dual threat opens up Maryland’s offense in ways few backs can. Clint Trickett has every reason to lean into that skill set this season.
The expectations are real now. If Williams sharpens his vision, becomes more reliable in pass protection and keeps running through contact, he has the tools to climb into the upper tier of Big Ten backs.
And the numbers could follow. A season in the range of 750-900 rushing yards, 40-55 catches for 400-500 receiving yards, and more than 1,300 total yards with 8-10 touchdowns would put him squarely where the watch list says he belongs.
For Maryland, that would mean more than a good season from one player. It would mean Williams has become the engine of the offense.
In Other News...
Former Maryland Starter's Next Move Just Became Part Of Buzz Williams' Turnover
Elijah Saunders next basketball stop has become a bit more complicated, and for Maryland fans, a familiar name is now tied to a different kind of offseason news. The former Terps forward, who previously played at Virginia before spending a season at Maryland, entered the transfer portal and is now part of the broader churn around Buzz Williams roster turnover in college basketball.
Saunders time in College Park came with its own twists, including a season-ending injury and a shift in role before he moved on. A return to Maryland is not in play, with the Terps already set on roster spots, so his path now runs through the portal and the eligibility fight he has joined in California as he looks to keep his college career going. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Just Added A Veteran Piece To A Secondary Full Of Questions
Maryland added another experienced body to a secondary that still has plenty of sorting out to do, landing a veteran defensive back who has bounced through multiple programs and now gives the Terps another option to evaluate ahead of the 2026 season. The move comes with Maryland still working toward its opener against Hampton on Sept. 6, and it fits the kind of late summer roster shuffle that can quietly matter once camp battles start tightening up.
Jordan Scruggs is the latest piece in that mix, bringing a resume built across several stops and a chance to compete for playing time as Maryland tries to settle the back end of its defense. For a unit with questions, adding someone with college experience is part insurance policy and part opportunity, and the next few weeks will determine whether he becomes more than just depth in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Running Back Room May Decide How Far This Offense Goes
Marylands ground game spent much of the 2025 season leaning on DeJuan Williams, who emerged as the clear centerpiece of the backfield while the rest of the room sorted out its roles. The broader picture was less flattering, with the offense struggling to generate rushing yards and attempts in a scheme that did not always make life easy for the backs, even as the staff continued to sort through the depth chart and define who fit where.
The intrigue now is how the room looks in 2026, with Clint Trickett taking over as offensive coordinator and a handful of backs positioned to contribute in different ways. Williams still headlines the group, but the real question for Maryland is whether the supporting cast can take enough pressure off him to make the run game feel less one-dimensional, especially after a season that left plenty of room for improvement. [Read more 🡒]