Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner on preseason watch list for Doak Walker Award

Another day, another preseason watch list that features players from Oregon. On Thursday morning, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced the preseason candidates for the 2015 Doak Walker Award, presented each year to the top running back in the country.

Oregon junior Thomas Tyner and sophomore Royce Freeman were among the list of candidates on the preseason watch list.

Last year during his sophomore campaign, Tyner rushed for 573 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Tyner's best performance of the year came in the Rose Bowl where he carried the ball 13 times for 124 yards with two touchdowns, helping lead Oregon to a 59-20 win over Florida State.

Freeman exploded onto the scene in Eugene last year, rushing for 1,365 yards and 18 touchdowns. Freeman rushed for over 100 yards in six games, cementing his role as Oregon's go-to running back.

Back in 2010, LaMichael James became Oregon's first Doak Walker Award winner after rushing for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Between the two, Freeman would likely have the better shot at winning the award. However, I don't think it is likely we will see anyone from Oregon winning due to the depth of the backfield leading to fewer rushing yards and touchdowns per player.