Pair of Texas Longhorns Defenders Named to Watchlist for Prestigious Award

With cornerback Jahdae Barron now in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, it's now time for someone else in the Texas Longhorns secondary to lead the charge for the 2025 season.

Luckily for Steve Sarkisian and the rest of the Horns' coaching staff, they have two surefire players that can fill that role, junior cornerback Malik Muhammad and senior safety Michael Taaffe, both of whom produced masterful 2024 campaigns that helped fuel the Longhorns defense, regarded by many as one of, if not, the best in the entire nation.

And now, should one of the two young stars repeat their impressive productions from last season, they could bring back an honorable defensive accolade that one Burnt Orange was graced with last season.

Muhammad and Taaffe Were Named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award

Wednesday afternoon, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Jim Thorpe Association announced the preseason watch list for the distinguished Jim Thorpe Award, gifted annually to the best defensive back in college football, and both Muhammad and Taaffe were included on the list.

Should one of the two Horns win the award at the season's conclusion, they would become the second consecutive defender out of Austin to be honored, as Barron was given the award for the 2024 season, and fourth Longhorn overall to win, after Michael Huff and Aaron Ross took home the 2005 and 2006 awards, respectively.

This will be the first time that either secondary is named on the watch list for the award.

Muhammad, a native of DeSoto, put together quite the sophomore campaign in Austin, recording 36 total tackles (32 solo) and deflecting eight passes. He also made a decent name for himself as a freshman in the 2023 season, recovering a blocked punt against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game and returning it to the end zone for the scoop-and-score touchdown.

Taaffe, who was named to the 2024 All-American second-team, put up even more impressive numbers during his junior campaign in Austin, with 78 total tackles (40 solo), a forced fumble, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions, including one in the Longhorns' 17-7 season finale victory against the Texas A&M Aggies.

The semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award will officially be announced on October 28, the finalists on November 25, and the eventual winner will be determined at The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12.

Muhammad, Taaffe, and the rest of the Longhorns begin their season with their biggest challenge, facing the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, thirsty for revenge after being booted from the College Football Playoff by Ryan Day's team.