As the leader of the No. 1 pass defense team in the country, The University of Texas at Austin’s Jahdae Barron has been named the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Winner. The announcement was made live tonight on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. Barron received the 2024 honor given to the top defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character on behalf of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Jim Thorpe Association and presenting sponsor Paycom.

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As the leader of the No. 1 pass defense team in the country, The University of Texas at Austin’s Jahdae Barron has been named the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Winner. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Austin, Texas, native Jahdae Barron is the third Thorpe Award recipient from the Longhorns, joining back-to-back winners Michael Huff (2005) and Aaron Ross (2006). Opting to return as a fifth-year defensive back, Barron played four positions in the Longhorns backfield and donned the same No. 7 jersey as former winner Huff. This year’s honor makes Barron the first Longhorns recipient representing the Southeastern Conference in the award’s history, a distinction that comes the same year Texas joined the SEC in 2024.

Barron led the SEC in interceptions with four interceptions and 41 tackles in the 2024 regular season, which contributed to a Longhorns defense that ranked top in the country for preventing explosive plays. Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian praised Barron’s football IQ, versatility and ability to impact the game at any position, saying, “[Barron] being the most impactful player on that defense, I think, speaks volumes to his preparation, his work ethic, his drive but, ultimately, the player that he is.”

In addition to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Barron was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and was named First Team All-SEC as a defensive back.

Barron commanded the voting, securing an impressive 65% of the first-place votes nationwide. This outcome was determined by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, comprising of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, past recipients of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), and prominent sports writers and college football journalists from across the country.

Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Paycom will honor Barron at the 39th Annual Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet as well as the 3rd Annual Aeneas Williams Award winner in Oklahoma City on Feb. 4, 2025.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards, and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.

Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Important Dates

Tue., Feb. 4, 2025: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet Honoring Jahdae Barron, The University of Texas, 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, including many celebrities and dignitaries, attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year.

For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, past award recipients, or banquet ticketing and advertising information, please visit oklahomasportshalloffame.org.

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.”

The Aeneas Williams Award is awarded to the best defensive back in Historically Black Colleges and Universities Division I college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. This award will serve as the first of its kind in HBCU history in honor of its namesake, Southern University walk-on and Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams. The contribution of HBCUs to the landscape of college football and the NFL has forever left an impact on the game. HBCUs hold an incredibly rich athletic tradition, tied to the game of football, that continues to exemplify the culture of these schools for over the past century.

Olivia James Marketing Communications & Event Director Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame ojames@oksportshof.org

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