Jaylan Ford named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watchlist
Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford has been named to the preseason watchlist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, an award that’s been bestowed 19 times and has never been won by a Longhorn player.
[Get Inside Texas Plus for just $29.99 until 8/31/23!]
The Lott IMPACT Trophy was named in honor of Ronnie Lott, a two time All-American for USC and College Football Hall of Fame Inductee. The trophy recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
Lott won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and earned 10 trips to the Pro Bowl and a spot in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. He was a leader who made an IMPACT both on and off the field and continues to exemplify character in his personal life.
Ford, from Frisco (Texas) Lone Star, appeared in all 13 games for Texas last season, compiling 12 starts while leading the Longhorns with a career-high 119 tackles (61 solo), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions. He also racked up 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, a pair of quarterback hurries and two pass breakups, a showing good enough to garner him AP third-team All-America honors.
Ford’s four interceptions tied the single-season interception record for a Texas linebacker, last accomplished by Derrick Johnson in 2002 and 2003. His 119 total tackles were the most in a season for a Longhorn since 2014, when Jordan Hicks amassed 147 and Steve Edmond had 131.
Top 10
- 1
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 2
Dan Lanning
Oregon coach getting NFL buzz
- 3Trending
UK upsets Duke
Mark Pope leads Kentucky to first Champions Classic win since 2019
- 4Hot
5-star flip
Ole Miss flips Alabama WR commit Caleb Cunningham
- 5
Second CFP Top 25
Newest CFP rankings are out
Ford was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection by both the Big 12 Conference and the Associated Press and was named the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Defensive Player of the Year. He netted conference Defensive Player of the Week honors three times, the third Longhorn to earn the accolade three times in one season (Derrick Johnson, 2004; Jackson Jeffcoat, 2013).
No Longhorn has won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, though six Texas players have previously been finalists. Joseph Ossai was a finalist in 2020 as was Brandon Jones in 2019, Emmanuel Acho in 2011, Sam Acho in 2010, Brian Orakpo in 2008 and Johnson in 2004, the first year the Trophy was awarded.
Seven other Big 12 players are among the 31 on the preseason list, which will be pared to three finalists as the season progresses.
The remainder of the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason list:
- Jaishawn Barham, LB, Maryland
- Chico Bennett Jr., DE, Virginia
- Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas
- Calen Bullock, DB, USC
- Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon
- Ben Bywater, LB, BYU
- Abdul Carter, LB, Penn State
- Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
- Dewayne Carter, DL, Duke
- Josh Celiscar, DE, UCF
- Mason Cobb, LB, USC
- Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
- Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State
- Justin Flower, LB, Arizona
- Marcus Fuqua, S, Buffalo
- Cedric Gray, LB, North Carolina
- Johnny Hodges, LB, TCU
- Ty’ron Hopper, LB, Missouri
- Travis Hunter, DB, Colorado
- Patrick Jenkins, DL, Tulane
- Will Johnson, DB, Michigan
- Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami
- Kalen King, CB, Penn State
- Laiatu Latu, DE, UCLA
- Dwight McGlothern, Db, Arkansas
- Ga’quincy ‘Kool-Aid’ McKinstry, CB, Alabama
- Malachi Moore, DB, Alabama
- Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
- Jer’zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
- Josh Newton, CB, TCU
- Collin Oliver, DE, Oklahoma State
- Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
- Karene Reid, LB, Utah
- Maason Smith, DL, LSU
- Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
- Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
- Bralen Trice, DE, Washington
- J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State
- Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
- Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky
- Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State
