Kentucky’s Chip Trayanum Named Preseason Candidate for Doak Walker Award

Kentucky senior running back Chip Trayanum has been named a preseason candidate for the 2024 Doak Walker Award, it was announced today by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

The award, which is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college running back, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. Each Tuesday of this season, The PwC SMU Athletic Forum will once again announce a Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week.

Trayanum, a 5-foot-11, 227-pounder out of Akron, Ohio, came to Kentucky in January as a mid-year enrollee after two seasons at Ohio State (2022-23) and two seasons at Arizona (2020-21). He has played in 36 total games in his career, 23 at Ohio State and 13 at Arizona State, and has totaled 1,157 career rushing yards with 13 touchdowns. He also has caught 15 passes for 91 yards.

At Ohio State last season, he appeared in 12 games and was Ohio State’s second-leading rusher with 373 yards on 85 attempts (4.4 avg.) with three touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 53 yards and had one kickoff return for 14 yards.

Trayanum graduated from Ohio State in 2023 with a degree in education and human ecology. He is currently working on an undergraduate certificate in business and is on track to receive that in December of 2024.

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will also be announced in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives. The recipient of the 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12, 2024.