AUSTIN, Texas — Some serious hardware is headed to the Forty Acres ahead of the College Football Playoff.
Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron was named the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner, which goes to the best defensive back in the nation.
Barron is the third Longhorns DB to win the award and the first since 2006, when Michael Huff and Aaron Ross won the Thorpe Award back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Barron, an Austin native who played his high school years at Connally High School, was integral to Texas having the best pass defense in the country. Barron led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with five interceptions so far this season, earning him 65% of the first-place votes.
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Barron’s football IQ, versatility and ability to impact the game at any position, saying, “[Barron] being the most impactful player on that defense, I think, speaks volumes to his preparation, his work ethic, his drive but, ultimately, the player that he is.”
In addition to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Barron was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and was named First Team All-SEC as a defensive back.
The vote was determined by the Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, comprised of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, past recipients of the award, members of the National College Football Awards Association, and prominent sports writers and college football journalists from across the country.
Barron is projected to go in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft after returning to Texas for another season.