Another Watch List for Caleb Hawkins—This One Hits Closer to Home

Another day, another preseason honor for Caleb Hawkins.

Less than 24 hours after Oklahoma State's new star running back landed on the Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list, Hawkins has added another.

This one is specifically for the guys carrying the football. Hawkins was named Tuesday as one of 62 preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's most outstanding college running back.

At this point, the national expectations surrounding Hawkins are impossible to miss. But unlike some of the other preseason recognition he's received, Hawkins already has some history with this award.

Hawkins didn't merely appear on the Doak Walker radar during his freshman season at North Texas. He became one of its 10 semifinalists—and was the only true freshman in that group.

That's what happens when you score touchdowns at a ridiculous rate. Hawkins finished 2025 with 29 total touchdowns and 25 rushing scores, both of which led the FBS. His 174 points and 13.4 points per game also led the country, while his 29 touchdowns established an NCAA freshman record.

So Hawkins isn't appearing on this year's list because people think he might become one of college football's best running backs. He's there because he already performed like one.

This has become quite the collection. Hawkins is now on the watch lists for the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Maxwell Award. He's also a Walter Camp Preseason All-American.

Not bad for someone who has yet to play his first official snap at Oklahoma State. But as we've said before, all of those honors are based on what Hawkins accomplished at North Texas. The next challenge is proving he can replicate that success in the Big 12.

Oklahoma State fans don't have to go very far back to remember the last Cowboy who won this award.

Ollie Gordon II won the Doak Walker Award in 2023 after leading the nation in rushing.

Now Hawkins enters Stillwater with an opportunity to put himself into that conversation. There is a long way to go.

The field of 62 will eventually be trimmed to 10 semifinalists in November, followed by three finalists later that month. The winner will be announced Dec. 10.

Hawkins knows that process. He got within 10 names of winning it as a freshman.

That's ultimately what makes all these Hawkins watch-list stories interesting.

We know he can produce. We know Eric Morris knows how to use him. We know Hawkins will operate in essentially the same offensive system that helped him explode onto the national scene.

What we don't know is how those numbers translate against Big 12 competition.

That's the test. The preseason recognition is deserved. The résumé is already impressive. But Hawkins has an opportunity to turn all these watch lists into something much bigger.

Last year, he was a Doak Walker semifinalist. This year, Caleb Hawkins gets a chance to see if he can finish the job—in an Oklahoma State uniform.