Thanks to a record-setting performance against USC last Saturday, Kenjon Barner found himself thrust right into the middle of the Heisman Trophy discussion.
Thanks to season-long excellence, the Oregon running back’s also in the, uh, running for another prestigious award as well.
Given annually to the nation’s top running back, the Doak Walker Award Friday announced its list of 2012 semifinalists. Obviously, Barner was one of the 10 named, and was one of three from the Pac-12 -- UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin and Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor (no relation) being the others.
The Big Ten also has three on the list; the Pac-12 and Big Ten are the only conferences with more than one back represented.
Wisconsin’s Montee Ball and Oklahoma State’s Joseph Randle are the only semifinalists from 2011 to repeat this season. There are five juniors, four seniors and one sophomore -- North Carolina’s Giovani Bernard -- on this year’s list of semifinalists.
Last year’s winner was Alabama’s Trent Richardson.
Montee Ball (Sr.) Wisconsin
Kenjon Barner (Sr.) Oregon
Le’Veon Bell (Jr.) Michigan State
Giovani Bernard (So.) North Carolina
David Fluellen (Jr.) Toledo
Johnathan Franklin (Sr.) UCLA
Stefphon Jefferson (Jr.) Nevada
Venric Mark (Jr.) Northwestern
Joseph Randle (Jr.) Oklahoma State
Stepfan Taylor (Sr.) Stanford