The Shadow
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison running back George Pettaway has been named to the 2026 Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List, given annually to the nation’s premier running back, as announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
Pettaway is one of 62 players on this year’s watch list, including one of three from the Sun Belt Conference. Joining him from the league were Kenyon Clay (Arkansas State) and Devin Roche (Old Dominion).
A native of Suffolk, Virginia, Pettaway played in 12 games last season, totaling 34 carries for 195 yards and adding nine receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. In two years as a Duke, he has carried 196 times for 1,175 yards and five scores on the ground to go along with 33 total catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
Earlier this summer, Pettaway was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team, one of three JMU players to garner preseason recognition by the league. Offensive lineman Zach Greenberg and edge rusher Amar Thomas represented the Dukes on the first team.
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, which will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 10, 2026.
