Mountain West Football: Four Named to Named To Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

Four Mountain West defensive backs make the watch list

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Will these DBs instill fear in MW QBs?

Position award watch list season continued last Thursday, this time for the defensive backs. Four Mountain West athletes made the 2023 preseason watch list for the Payocm Jim Thorpe Award. The Jim Thorpe Award is given annually to the nation’s best defensive back.

Air Force S Trey Taylor makes his second watch list of the 2023 season, having previously been named to the Nagurski Trophy watch list. He led the Falcons in tackles last season with 69 to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack. A 2023 preseason All-MW selection, Taylor is the Falcons leading returner in career tackles with 131.

Colorado State S Jack Howell also makes his second watch list of the 2023 season, having been named to the Nagurski Trophy watch list as well. He led the Rams in tackles at 108 total tackles, which also lead the nation for defensive backs. If Howell were to win, he would become the second Ram to win the award after Greg Myers did so in 1995.

Hawai’i CB Cameron Stone is next up from the Mountain West. The Wyoming transfer heads to the Islands after accumulating 35 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and a pick six in Laramie. Stone was also named Preseason All-MW by the league media.

Utah State S Ike Larsen is the final MW representative on the Thorpe Award watch list. The sophmore safety returns to lead the Aggies secondary. Larsen put his name on the map with 33 tackes, three tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, a pick six, and a school record three blocked punts in 2022.

Last year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner was TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.

Story originally appeared on Mountain West Wire