KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mizzou running back Cody Schrader and Kansas State left guard Cooper Beebe are finalists for major college football awards after outstanding 2023 seasons.
Schrader is one of three finalists announced Tuesday for the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back along with Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
Beebe, a graduate of Piper High School in Kansas City, Kansas, is a finalist for the Outland Trophy, which is given annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the top interior lineman in college football.
He is the first Wildcats lineman ever selected as a finalist along with Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, the son of former Kansas City Chiefs standout John Alt, and Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
Schrader started his college career at NCAA Division II Truman State before transferring to Mizzou as a walk-on.
Now, in his second season with the Tigers — and on scholarship — Schrader ranks second in the country with 1,499 rushing yards. Only Gordon (1,580) has more.
Schrader, who also is a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy as the best former walk-on, has rushed for 13 touchdowns and added 22 catches for 191 yards out of the backfield.
He’s the second Doak Walker Award finalist for Mizzou in the last three seasons, joining Tyler Badie in 2021.
Schrader needs 105 yards in the Tigers’ bowl game to break Badie’s single-season rushing record (1,604).
Beebe helped K-State average 37.7 points and 446.1 yards on offense, including 199.7 yards rushing per game.
He’s started every game this season at left guard and allowed only one sack in 1,224 pass-blocking snaps during the last three seasons.
Beebe, who has a 3.84 grade-point average and majors in social studies education, is also among 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy , also known as the “Academic Heisman,” and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award.
The winners of the Doak Walker Award and Outland Trophy will be announced Dec. 8 during the two-hour Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.
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