LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – UNLV safety Jalen Catalon is one of 15 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top defensive back.
The list, announced Tuesday by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, includes 15 of the nation’s best DBs representing seven conferences and one independent. The semifinalists are selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 15 players based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
Catalon, who transferred this year from the University of Texas and was also a Thorpe semifinalist when he played at Arkansas in 2020, is currently tied for seventh in the nation with four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown in a win at Houston. He sits seventh in the league with 8.25 tackles per game along with three pass breakups and a key forced fumble. The Texas native has been named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week twice already – Sept. 30 after a win over Fresno State and Oct. 21 following a victory at Oregon State.
Catalon is only the second UNLV player to become a Thorpe semifinalist, following two-time All-American and UNLV Athletics Hall of Famer Jamaal Brimmer in 2003.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will reconvene on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be announced as part of a special presentation by ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 26. 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 sportswriters and college football journalists throughout the country. The winner will be announced Dec. 12 on the Home Depot College Football Awards and honored on Feb. 4, 2025, at the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet in Oklahoma City.
The award was established in 1986 and is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.
PAYCOM JIM THORPE 2024 SEMIFINALISTS
- Jahdae Barron, Texas, Sr.
- Jalen Catalon, UNLV, Sr.
- Tacario Davis, Arizona, Jr.
- Caleb Downs, Ohio State, So.
- Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, Jr.
- Travis Hunter, Colorado, Jr.
- Will Johnson, Michigan, Jr.
- Rayuan Lane III, Navy, Sr.
- Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, So.
- Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon, Sr.
- Xavier Scott, Illinois, Jr.
- Terrence Spence, James Madison, Sr.
- Malaki Starks, Georgia, Jr.
- Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, Gr. Sr.
- Nohl Williams, California, Sr.
The Rebels next home game is scheduled for Nov. 16 against San Diego.
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