Last offseason, few outside Salt Lake City and Sacramento were talking about Devontae Booker. He was a 2014 spring standout, sure, but likely to split carries with Bubba Poole and Troy McCormick. Not a work horse. Not one of the nation's best running backs.
Thursday, when Booker became one of 69 official preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, brought another in a series of reminders that Booker has come a long way since.
Of course, Booker seized the starting role by the beginning of last year's Pac-12 play, rushing for 1,512 yards and 10 touchdowns and catching 43 passes for 306 yards and two more scores.