It didn't take long for a Husky to make their mark on the national stage. Washington running back Jonah Coleman has been named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week for the first official week of the college football season.
Coleman rushed the ball 24 times for 177 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in Washington's season-opening win against Colorado State. He also added a reception for 22 yards, making it a total of 199 all-purpose yards for the senior ball carrier.
The Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week is a weekly honor that leads up to the presentation of the Doak Walker Award at the end of the season – given to the country's top running back. Coleman was named to the preseason watch list for the award during the preseason.
Jonah Coleman is the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week!⁰The Washington senior tallied 177 rushing yards and 2 TDs in a 38-21 win over Colorado State, setting the tone for the Huskies’ offense.⁰#DoakWalkerAward #CFB pic.twitter.com/BUY117yTfy
— Doak Walker Award (@DoakWalkerAward) September 3, 2025
Coleman was arguably Washington's best player last season, and can be again this season. He transferred to UW from Arizona to follow his head coach Jedd Fisch after he accepted the job to replace Kalen DeBoer following the 2023 season. In 2024, Coleman was named to third-team All-Big Ten by the media after rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also won Washington's offensive MVP at the team's postseason award banquet.
Washington's Greg Lewis won the first Doak Walker Award ever given back in 1990, but since then, no Husky running back has received the honor. Despite it still being early, Coleman looks to have the chance to stay on pace to compete for the award, as his 24 carries and 177 yards were both career highs during his tenure with Washington. Perhaps that volume can continue the rest of the season with a revamped offensive line.
#Huskies offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty talks about Jonah Coleman receiving a career-high 24 carries in Saturday’s opener. pic.twitter.com/QVAtWyptDh
— Aaron Coe (@Coe_Aaron) September 2, 2025
The Doak Walker Award wasn't the only award Coleman received some buzz for – ESPN's Bill Connelly placed Coleman at the top of his Week 1 Heisman list. Connelly is just one writer, and Coleman isn't even listed as a betting option to win the Heisman on most sites, but it's still exciting for Husky fans to get a glimpse of what kind of hype is in store for Coleman if he keeps it up.
Washington will have a highly favorable matchup this Saturday against UC Davis, which will be another opportunity for Coleman to boost his stats and make more highlight plays to further launch himself into the national conversation. Week 1 might've been the introduction, but Week 2 shapes up to be the encore.