Texas DB Jahdae Barron named a Jim Thorpe Award finalist

Texas senior defensive back Jahdae Barron was named one of three finalists for the 2024 PAYCOM Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association announced Tuesday. The award is given annually to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.

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Barron is Texas’ first Thorpe Award finalist since safety DeShon Elliott in 2017. Two Longhorns have won the Thorpe Award with safety Michael Huff (2005) and cornerback Aaron Ross (2006) taking it home in back-to-back years. Overall, Barron is Texas’ sixth finalist for the Thorpe Award.

In addition to being selected as a finalist for the Thorpe Award, Barron is also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive player. The Austin, Texas, native is also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award. Following Texas’ 20-10 road win at Arkansas on Nov. 16, Barron was recognized as the Thorpe Award’s National Player of the Week, the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the Reese’s Senior Bowl’s Defensive Player of the Week.

A fifth-year defensive back, Barron has played in 52 career games with 34 starts. Prior to the 2024 season, he was named preseason second-team All-SEC on defense and selected to the preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurksi Trophy and Bednarik Award. Barron is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the nation, consistently playing multiple positions in the Texas defensive backfield, while providing leadership as a fifth-year veteran. Through 11 games, Barron has compiled 41 tackles (27 solo), 10 defensive stops, four interceptions (returned for 65 yards), five pass break-ups, eight passes defended, one fumble return, one sack, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Barron’s four interceptions rank 12th nationally and lead the SEC. Barron’s 41 total tackles are the fifth-most by a UT defender this season while he also leads the squad in pass break-ups.

With Barron leading the UT defense, Texas ranks second in the FBS in total defense (247.5 ypg), passing yards allowed (143.5 ypg), passing efficiency defense (93.51), passes intercepted (17) and first down defense (162), while ranking third in scoring defense (12.1 ppg), and leading the SEC in all of those categories. The Longhorns also rank fifth in the FBS in turnovers gained (24), ninth in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.299), 11th in sacks (3.0), and 13th in tackles for loss (7.3). Texas ranks third nationally in defensive stop rate, recording stops on 80.5 percent of opponent drives this season. The Longhorns are the best in the country at preventing explosive plays of 20-plus yards (22) and 30-plus yards (seven). Barron is a guiding force in a Texas secondary that has surrendered only four passing touchdowns this season – which ties for the fewest in the FBS.

Last time out, Barron registered three solo stops in the Longhorns’ 31-14 win against Kentucky on Nov. 23. He was an integral part of a Texas defense that limited Kentucky to only one drive longer than 39 yards of their 11 drives during the game, which was 73 yards on the strength of a 42-yard pass play. Seven of their drives went for fewer than 20 yards. Barron helped Texas secure a 20-10 road win at Arkansas on Nov. 16. The victory clinched UT’s 10th-straight true road win – the longest active streak in the FBS. In the win against the Razorbacks, Barron compiled seven tackles (six solo), including one sack and two tackles for loss, along with a tone-setting interception, one pass breakup and one QB hurry. Barron’s interception came a little over five minutes into the game at the Texas 39-yard line, and from there, the offense went on to score the first points of the game on a touchdown for a 7-0 lead, which the Longhorns would not relinquish the rest of the game. On the very next series, Barron secured a tackle for loss on a 3rd-and-3 to provide a three-and-out.

Barron later posted a sack on the last play of the first half with 19 seconds remaining to ensure Arkansas would not have a scoring opportunity from their 38-yard line, and that Texas would maintain a 10-0 halftime lead. Barron disrupted the quarterback again in a critical situation in the fourth quarter. With the Longhorns leading, 13-7, and Arkansas close to the red zone on the Texas 26, Barron pressured an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-10 that forced a field goal to keep the game at 13-10. The Longhorns then extended their lead back to 20-10 on the next offensive possession.

In Texas’ 49-17 win vs. Florida on Nov. 9, he compiled two tackles (one solo) and a pass break-up. He logged three tackles (two solo) and a pass break-up in the 27-24 win at No. 25/25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Barron finished with a career-high two interceptions vs. Georgia on Oct. 19. The senior defensive back also finished the game with four total tackles (two solo). Barron became the first Longhorn with two interceptions in a single game since D’Shawn Jamison accomplished the feat at West Virginia on Oct. 5, 2019 – a span of 63 games. Responsible for two of UT’s three interceptions vs. the Bulldogs, it was the most interceptions Texas has recorded against a team ranked inside the AP Top-5 since the Horns had four against No. 2 Oklahoma in 2002. In UT’s 31-12 win at No. 10/9 Michigan on Sept. 7, he logged four stops, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery.

The other two finalists for the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award are Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Georgia safety Malaki Starks. The award recipient is selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, members of the NCFAA and sports writers and college football journalists throughout the country. The 2024 PAYCOM Jim Thorpe Award winner will be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards show on Thursday, Dec. 12.

This week, Barron and Texas head to College Station, Texas, for their regular season finale against Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 30, on ABC. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will have the call. ESPN’s College GameDay will be airing live from the Texas A&M campus from 8-11 a.m. Saturday hosted by Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit and other ESPN personalities.

(via Texas release)