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Business Wire
17 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association
OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) and Jim Thorpe Association released the prestigious Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. This list includes 35 of the nation's best defensive backs, representing nine conferences and one independent university. The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the semifinalists and finalists lists as the season progresses. 2025 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List Xavion Alford, Safety, Arizona State, Sr. Ty Benefield, Safety, Boise State, Jr. KJ Bolden, Safety, Georgia, So. Bud Clark, Safety, TCU, Sr. Jeremiah Cooper, Safety, Iowa State, Sr. Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State, Jr. Daylen Everette, Cornerback, Georgia, Sr. David Fisher, Cornerback, North Texas, Sr. Chance Gamble, Cornerback, Georgia Southern, Sr. Brylan Green, Safety, Liberty, Sr. Tyler Hallum, Cornerback, Kennesaw State, Sr. Al'zillion Hamilton, Cornerback, Fresno State, Sr. Davison Igbinosun, Cornerback, Ohio State, Sr. Casey Larkin, Safety, Army, Sr. A'Marion McCoy, Cornerback, Boise State, Sr. Jermod McCoy, Cornerback, Tennessee, Jr. Leonard Moore, Cornerback, Notre Dame, So. Terry Moore, Safety, Duke, Sr. Malik Muhammad, Cornerback, Texas, Jr. Isaiah Nwokobia, Safety, SMU, Sr. Tank Pearson, Cornerback, Ohio, Gr. Sr. Koi Perich, Safety, Minnesota, So. D'Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana, Jr. Chandler Rivers, Cornerback, Duke, Sr. De'Shawn Rucker, Cornerback, South Florida, Sr. Xavier Scott, Cornerback, Illinois, Sr. Tyree Skipper, Safety, Louisiana, Sr. Avery Smith, Cornerback, Toledo, Sr. Michael Taaffe, Safety, Texas, Sr. Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson, Jr. Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Oregon, Jr. Jacob Thomas, Safety, James Madison, Sr. DJ Walker, Safety, Ohio, So. JeRico Washington Jr., Cornerback, Kennesaw State, So. Jontez Williams, Cornerback, Iowa State, Jr. By Conference AAC (3), ACC (4), Big 12 (4), Big Ten (6), CUSA (3), Independent (1), MAC (3), MW (3), SEC (5), Sun Belt (3) The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit for more information. Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a 15-day period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2025 preseason watch list calendar: Mon., July 28: Maxwell Award Tue., July 29: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy Wed., July 30: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award Thu., July 31: Paul Hornung Award/Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Fri., Aug. 1: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award Mon., Aug. 4: Walter Camp Award Tue., Aug. 5: Doak Walker Award Wed., Aug. 6: Biletnikoff Award Thu., Aug. 7: Davey O'Brien Award Fri., Aug. 8: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy Mon., Aug. 11: Bednarik Award Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Important Dates Wed., July 30: Preseason Watch List Announced at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Tue., Oct. 28: Semifinalists Announced at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET A screening committee consisting of OSHOF members monitors all defensive backs throughout the season, including watch list players, and narrows the field to up to 15 semifinalists. Tue., Nov. 25: Finalists Announced at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET The three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. Fri., Dec. 12: Winner Announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards The winner will be announced on the ESPN live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards at 7 p.m. ET. Other recognized NCFAA awards announced include the Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award, Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Lou Groza Award, Ray Guy Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Biletnikoff Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award and others. Tue., Feb. 10, 2026: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet Honoring the 2025 Winner in Oklahoma City The official presentation of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award takes place in Oklahoma City, following The Home Depot College Football Awards. The current winner and all former winners are invited each year to celebrate. Over 600 supporters attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year, including many celebrities and dignitaries. For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and past award recipients, please visit 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Winner Jahdae Barron, The University of Texas Jahdae Barron attended John B. Connally High School in Austin, Texas, where he starred on the football and track and field teams. He was selected First-Team 5-A 11 All-District as a defensive back his junior season and earned Second-Team 5A All-State his senior year. In addition to defensive back, Barron also played wide receiver and returned kickoffs and punts for Connally. He finished his senior season at Connally as one of the highest rated defensive backs in the country and attended The University of Texas following high school. Barron appeared in five games for the Texas Longhorns as a freshman. Barron saw more playing time as a sophomore, appearing in nine games and making two starts during the 2021 season. He came into his own as a junior, playing in 13 games and making nine starts. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 and finished 2022 with 78 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and led Texas with 11.5 tackles for loss. Barron continued his excellence on the field in 2023. He was named a Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist and selected Second-Team All-Big 12. He finished 2023 with 61 tackles (32 solo), one interception and six pass breakups. Barron became the best defensive back in the country in 2024, winning the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. Barron started all 16 games for the Longhorns in 2024. He led the SEC and finished fourth in the country with five interceptions. Barron was named First-Team All-America by the Associated Press and First-Team All-SEC. In addition to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Barron was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and helped lead the Longhorns to a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance. Barron had three solo tackles and two pass breakups in the opening round victory over Clemson. He was named the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Defensive MVP in the Longhorns' quarterfinal win against Arizona State as Texas advanced to the CFP Semifinals for a second straight season. Barron finished the 2024 season with 67 tackles, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Jahdae Barron was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. 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. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the nation's top collegiate sports honors. Paycom Software, Inc. (NYSE: PAYC) ('Paycom'), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, and the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame jointly announced in May 2017 an exclusive sponsorship of the Jim Thorpe Award. As a result, the accolade has been named the 'Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.'
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
MLB trade deadline top targets: 8 most impactful players who could move
The Major League Baseball trade deadline offers playoff contenders one last opportunity to improve their rosters for the stretch run and position themselves for a World Series push. Talks are expected to go down to the wire on many of the top available players, but in the meantime here's a brief overview of who could make the biggest splash over the final two months of the regular season ... and into October. Just for fun, we're ranking them on their potential impact for the rest of this year – and which teams could be/should be the most interested in them as the clock counts down to the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Thursday. 3B Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks The Diamondbacks have the best collection of trade chips in the majors, with Suárez, 34, the top impact bat on the market. He already has 36 home runs this season and is a free agent this winter. Arizona will likely want a pair of top prospects and possibly another player as well, so his price will be high. RP Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals Relief pitchers are the most plentiful commodity at the trade deadline, but top closers are few and far between. Helsley fits the bill after leading the majors in saves last season with 49. He's racked up 21 saves in 26 chances this season, pitching to an even 3.00 ERA. Since June 15, however, he's allowed only one run in his last 11 innings. He's also a free agent at the end of this season. SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins If the Twins decide to sell, Ryan could be the top starting pitcher available. Despite a rocky last start vs. Washington, Ryan has been excellent all year with a 10-5 record, 2.82 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. He's lined up to start on Saturday so he could jump right into a contending team's rotation. Ryan is in his first year of arbitration. SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks Kelly has seemingly overtaken teammate Zac Gallen as the top trade target in the Arizona rotation. Since the beginning of June, he's pitched to a 2.56 ERA, averaging just about six innings over 10 starts. He has generally been a ground-ball pitcher over the course of his career so he could fit in most anywhere. Kelly is a free agent at the end of the season. SP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young award winner, missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's had a rocky start in his return to action (6.36 ERA), but has been much better lately -- not allowing an earned run in winning his last two starts. He has $17.3 million left on his contract for next season, with a club option for 2027, so acquring him will come with a sizable financial commitment. SP Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins The arbitration-eligible Cabrera is a younger, less-expensive and perhaps more volatile version of Alcantara. With persistent injury issues, he's never pitched more than 100 innings in any major league season – and he's already at 94 innings this season. He experienced some elbow discomfort in his final start before the All-Star break, but has looked fine in two starts since then. OF Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox Robert, 27, showed difference-making potential in 2023 when he hit 38 homers with an .857 OPS, stole 20 bases and won a Gold Glove in center field. However, he hasn't come close to that kind of production the past two seasons. The White Sox have club options for 2026 and 2027 so they don't have to deal him if the price isn't right. But it's also highly unlikely he'll stick around until the White Sox are ready to contend again. RP David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates Toiling away on a last-place team, Bednar seems like a lock to be dealt. He picked up his 17th save on Monday, although he did allow a run for the first time in 24 appearances. That's the kind of consistency any contender would love to have in its bullpen down the stretch. On the season, Bednar has a 2.37 ERA and is striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2026.
Los Angeles Times
17 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Luca Doncic takes a jab at Mavericks while showing off his revenge body
Guy spends his summer transforming his body from flab to fighting trim. He wants to share the results with the world. Where is his first stop? New York, New York, would suffice. So there Luka Doncic stood, newly toned and beaming, posing for a photo opp at Yankee Stadium with none other than 6-foot-7, 282-pound slugger Aaron Judge, as legit a symbol of freakish physique gifts as exists on today's sports landscape. Both men have been featured in Men's Health magazine, including a cover story on Doncic published Monday that detailed his commitment to redistributing weight through intense workouts and a better diet. The 6-6, 230-pound Doncic didn't wither in Judge's presence, exhibiting muscle tone unseen during his 28-game Lakers debut after being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a truly shocking Feb. 1 trade for center Anthony Davis. Doncic also chatted with the Yankees' broadcast team, and play-by-play announcer Michael Kay suggested Doncic do what any self-respecting New Yorker would in this situation: Make sure the Mavericks are aware of his physical transformation. 'After that deal was made, the Mavericks got a lot of criticism regarding it,' Kay said. 'Then they start to leak out stuff — 'Oh, we don't know if he's ever going to be in shape.' You should mail them a copy of that Men's Health magazine.' Behind a sly grin, Doncic replied, 'They probably saw it. I don't have to worry about that.' New York is one of three destinations on Doncic's summer sojourn, a one-day stop in Chicago next followed by an intriguingly timed visit to Los Angeles on Saturday. That happens to be the first day Doncic, 26, can sign a contract extension with the Lakers. The five-time All-NBA guard can sign a four-year deal for $224 million or a three-year deal for $161 million with a player option in 2028, which would allow Doncic to sign a max contract in 2028 that would give him 35% of the salary cap for that season. Any lingering doubts that the Lakers might have had before dropping that kind of money in Doncic's lap likely were assuaged by his apparent commitment to superior physical conditioning. Even with a bit of a belly and rounded jowls, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists a game last season — a mere tick lower than his career totals. Now he could be poised to assume the mantle of best player in the world, handed off from Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, Lakers both. Doncic's summer at his Croatia home includes two 90-minute workouts a day, according to Men's Health. He also has adopted a gluten-free, low-sugar and high-protein diet that includes intermittent fasting. The unveiling of his new physique included Judge giving him a game-used bat and a pair of his Air Jordan 1 Low cleats. In the interview with Kay, Doncic was asked if he could put the gifts to use. Has he played baseball? 'A lot, on the Wii console,' he replied with the same wry humor he displayed shading the Mavericks. 'Yeah, on Wii, I was great. Here? Probably not.'
