Murray, a sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev., ran for 764 yards last season despite missing three games and drawing only one start.
He also scored 15 touchdowns, including 13 on the ground, to tie Adrian Peterson's freshman record at OU.
Murray showed a flare for the big play with a 92-yard touchdown run against Utah State and a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns.
The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on November 10, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on November 24.
The committee will cast a second vote beginning on December 1 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL
All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special
representatives.
The recipient of the 2008 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 11. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, February 6, 2009.
The award, in its 19th year, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Murray and OU open the 2008 season this Saturday against Tennessee-Chattanooga. The Sooners enter the 6:10 p.m., kickoff with a No. 4 national ranking.