Tag: Jim Thorpe Award

Georgia DB Lewis Cine named a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist

Lewis Cine getting some love. About time.

I’ve said it many times — Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Lewis Cine might be the best open field tackler in college football.

The dude simply does not miss and has now racked up 28 total tackles this season, which is third on the team behind Channing Tindall and Nakobe Dean.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best defensive back in college football, has taken notice as well.

Cine was named one of the 12 semifinalist for the award on Monday morning.

The former four-star out of Cedar Hill, Texas has been exceptional in his three years at Georgia. Last year, Cine tallied 52 total tackles and hardly missed an opportunity to stop an opposing player in his tracks.

The full list of semifinalist is as follows:

  • Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati | Jr.
  • Brandon Hill, Pitt. | So.
  • Coby Bryant, Cincinnati | Sr.
  • Jalen Pitre, Baylor | Sr.
  • Jaquan Brisker, Penn State | Sr.
  • Ja’Quan McMillian, East Carolina | So.
  • Jaylan Foster, South Carolina | Sr.
  • Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame | Jr.
  • Lewis Cine, Georgia | Jr.
  • Matt Hankins, Iowa | Sr.
  • Riley Moss, Iowa | Sr.
  • Verone McKinley III, Oregon | So.

Verone McKinley III one of 12 players to be named Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist

Oregon’s Verone McKinley III has been named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.

Verone McKinley III has arguably been the MVP for the Oregon Ducks this season, and his play on the field has undoubtedly shot him up a number of NFL draft boards. On top of that, he has also been named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football.

McKinley is currently second in the nation with 4 interceptions on the season. He is also one of 12 players to be named a semifinalist for the award, which was won last year by TCU’s Tre’von Moehrig. In 2019, Oregon’s Jevon Holland was also named a semifinalist for the award.

Here is the full list of semifinalists in 2021:

  • Coby Bryant – Cincinnati
  • Lewis Cine – Georgia
  • Jaylan Foster – South Carolina
  • Ahmad Gardner – Cincinnati
  • Kyle Hamilton – Notre Dame
  • Matt Hankins – Iowa
  • Brandon Hill – Pittsburgh
  • Verone McKinley III – Oregon
  • Ja’Quan McMillian – East Carolina
  • Riley Moss – Iowa
  • Jalen Pitre – Baylor

According to a release from the UO, McKinley III is the eighth player in program history to be named a Thorpe Award semifinalist, and first since Jevon Holland in 2019. Ifo Ekpre Olomu – a semifinalist in 2012, 2013 and 2014 – is the lone Duck ever to be selected as a finalist (2014) for the prestigious award.

Three finalists for the award will be selected on November 23rd, and the winner will be announced on December 9th.

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Kyle Hamilton, three other Notre Dame players launch podcast

A few Irish players are trying their hands at a new venture.

This has been a busy week for Kyle Hamilton. First, he was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list for the nation’s best defensive back. Then, he and Notre Dame defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa made the Bronco Nagurski Award watch list, which is given to the best overall defensive player. Now, he and three other Irish teammates are getting into the podcast game.

Hamilton has launched a podcast called “Inside the Garage” along with receiver Conor Ratigan, cornerback Cam Hart and safety KJ Wallace. The podcast, which is available wherever you can find podcasts and on YouTube, is hosted on The Volume, a podcast network founded by Colin Cowherd. Cowherd himself promotes the podcast in this video:

The name of the podcast comes from the fact that it will be record from the garage of the off-campus house in which all four players live. The first episode now is available, and two episodes will be released every week. It will be interesting to hear insights that surely wouldn’t have been possible before the new NIL rules took effect.

Sevyn Banks makes Thorpe preseason watch list

It’s really no surprise that Ohio State has a DB on this preseason watch list almost yearly.

The march of the preseason college football awards watch lists continue with the unveiling of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award version that goes to college football’s best defensive back annually. And much like any other year, the Ohio State football program has a player listed among the 40 names that were honored on Monday, cornerback Sevyn Banks.

Banks continues to garner a lot of preseason notoriety. His name has found its way on several first-round 2022 NFL mock drafts, preseason All-American lists, and players to watch. He is expected to be the No. 1 cornerback on a defensive backfield that will need to improve significantly in 2021 if Ohio State has any designs of getting back to the College Football Playoff.

So far during Banks’ three-year career, he has tallied 35 tackles, two interceptions, and two touchdowns — one on a fumble return, and one on a punt block. This fall will be his second year starting at the cornerback position.

The potential is there, now we’ll wait to see if No. 7 can fulfill that promise on the field this fall.

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LOOK: Raiders S Trevon Moehrig accepts Jim Thorpe Award trophy

LOOK: Raiders S Trevon Moehrig accepts Jim Thorpe Award trophy

It’s been nearly six months since Trevon Moehrig was named the 2021 recipient of the coveted Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football.

The entire event was presented virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is the moment he was informed he had won the award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXDO0dIRcXI

Since then, the TCU Horned Frog was drafted by the Raiders with the 43rd overall pick in the second round and will begin his NFL career pegged as a day one starter at free safety.

It’s one thing to have an award credited to you, it’s another to have that award physically in your trophy case. It’s still another thing to actually be able to attend the ceremony honoring your accomplishment; both of which Moehrig missed out on initially back in January.

Wednesday night, he finally got to take the stage and officially accept the trophy that only 38 others have ever received. His TCU coaches documented the experience.

Though a nagging injury during the draft process had Moehrig taken after both of the DB’s with whom he was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, he was widely considered the best safety in college football. He put up seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups over the past two seasons for the Horned Frogs.

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Wisconsin S Eric Burrell added to another watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Three days ago, Eric Burrell was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in college football. Yesterday, Burrell was added to another watch list for the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. 

Three days ago, Eric Burrell was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in college football. Yesterday, Burrell was added to another watch list for the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. 

After a phenomenal year, where he was the highest-rated returning defensive back in coverage in the Big Ten from Pro Football Focus, the Severn, M.D. native is garnering a lot of attention around college football going into next season. If Burrell is able to keep improving on his success from last year, he could be getting his name called next April.

I wrote about Eric Burrell and his addition to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award yesterday, as well as spoke more in-depth about his play last season here.

Talanoa Hufanga lands on Jim Thorpe Award watch list

USC Trojans defensive back Talanoa Hufanga was named on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, given to the nation’s top defensive back.

The preseason awards keep rolling in for what should be a deep, talented USC Trojans squad in 2020.

The latest is for defensive back Talanoa Hufanga, who was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, an award given to the nation’s top defensive back.

Hufanga is joined by six fellow PAC-12 defensive backs: Paulson Adebo from Stanford, Camryn Bynum from Cal, Thomas Graham and Jevon Holland from Oregon and Elijah Molden from Washington.

Hufanga is also a preseason candidate for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top defensive player, so it is no surprise he found his way onto this list as well.

The incoming junior made the All-PAC-12 second team last year, finishing with 90 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2019.

The Thorpe Award has gone to the Trojans twice — Mark Carrier in 1989 and Adoree’ Jackson in 2016. USC is one of just eight schools to have  multiple award winners.

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Locked on Longhorns Podcast: Award watch lists and Kobe Boyce

Latest Locked on Longhorns Podcast discussing the award watch lists including Caden Sterns on the Jim Thorpe Award plus Kobe Boyce departs.

The Locked on Longhorns podcast opens it’s Monday edition discussing budget cuts around the country. Tom Herman is one of the few coaches who hasn’t taken a pay cut for the upcoming season. Over the weekend defensive back Kobe Boyce announced he will be stepping away from football. Plus Tony Fields II recently picked up an offer from the Longhorns. Where does the transfer fit in the Texas defense?

Texas Longhorns running back Keaontay Ingram was added to the Doak Walker Award watchlist, what are his chances of coming home with the hardware? Plus Caden Sterns and Joseph Ossai added their names to premier award watch lists. Sterns was named to the Jim Thorpe Award while Ossai was named to the Dick Butkus Award list.

The Big 12 Media poll is out. The Texas Longhorns are picked to finish third in the conference. It comes down to a likely three-team race at the top with Iowa State as the dark horse. One team picked fourth by College Football News comes as a surprise. USA TODAY Sports released their college sports revenue database, the Texas Longhorns generated the most, 72 percent coming by way of football.

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Two LSU football players named to Jim Thorpe Award watch list

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety JaCoby Stevens were named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Monday.

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety JaCoby Stevens were named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Monday.

The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football.

Stingley was arguably the best cornerback in the country last season as a freshman. Stevens will likely take over and fill the void at safety in place of former Tigers star Grant Delpit.

Delpit won the Jim Thorpe Award last season after he accounted for 65 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. He was a viable part of the Tigers’ success on defense that helped lead the way to the program’s fourth national championship in program history.

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Last season, Stingley had 38 tackles — 31 of which were solo tackles. He led the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in interceptions with six, and was a Consensus All-American and a First-Team All-American selection. Along with those awards, the rising sophomore was also a First and Second Team All-SEC selection and the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year.

Stevens was a 2019 Second Team All-SEC selection and was named the SEC Defensive player of the week three times in 2019. He finished his junior season with 92 total tackles, which ranked second on the team behind Jacob Phillips. He had five sacks and three interceptions on the season last year.

Heading into the 2020 college football season, the Tigers are replacing a lot of talent, and are under new leadership with defensive coordinator Bo Pelini replacing Dave Aranda, who took the head coach position at Baylor.

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Both Stingley and Stevens will play crucial roles in holding down the secondary and keeping opposing receivers in check this season.

Though the Tigers’ schedule has yet to be realigned due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two Tigers defensive stars will be key players to keep an eye on once the season starts.

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Texas DB named to Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list

Texas safety Caden Sterns is expected to be one of the top defensive backs in the nation this season.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the top defensive back in college football. Continue reading “Texas DB named to Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list”