Two Longhorns land on land on Jim Thorpe Award watch list
It marks the first time either Longhorn has earned a spot on the Thorpe Award watch list. Last year, Jahdae Barron took home the honors, becoming the third player in program history to do so. He joined a special group that includes Michael Huff and Aaron Ross.
While Taaffe and Muhammad are in unfamiliar territory, they have a good shot at making history. Last season, Muhammad set career highs in tackles with 36 and pass deflections with eight. The Texas native also recorded one tackle for a loss. In his second season on the Forty Acres, Muhammad saw an increase in playing time, and he made the most of his opportunities.
As Muhammad shined, he got help from Taaffe, who has become a staple for the Longhorns. The former walk-on finished second on the team with total tackles with 78 and interceptions with two. He was also the only Longhorn to record an interception and a forced fumble in the same game last season. As Taaffe put together a career year, life was difficult for quarterbacks whenever they played Texas.
In three months, the watch list will be cut down to semifinalists on Oct. 28. Nearly a month later, the finalists will be released on Nov. 25. Both Taaffe and Muhammad are hoping to find their names on that list. After that, the players still in the mix will not have to wait long to find out the winner, which will be announced on Dec.12.
If Taaffe and Muhammad can build on their play from last year, then the Longhorns may have a reason to celebrate their star defensive backs in December.
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