The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 20/19 Football’s Taaffe tabbed Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist
10.28.2025 | Football
The senior defensive back is one of 15 semifinalists for the award.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 20/19 Texas Football senior defensive back Michael Taaffe was selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) and Jim Thorpe Association announced Tuesday. The award is given annually to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
Taaffe is one of 15 semifinalists up for the award.
Former Longhorn DB Jahdae Barron was the 2024 winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, becoming the third Texas football player in program history to win the award. He joined Michael Huff (2005) and Aaron Ross (2006), who won the award in back-to-back years. Texas is tied with LSU and Oklahoma for the most all-time Thorpe Award winners with three apiece.
In addition to earning semifinalist status for the Jim Thorpe Award, Taaffe is also a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. A preseason First-Team All-SEC honoree, Taaffe was placed on preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy. He returned to the UT defense after garnering second-team All-America recognition from the Associated Press in 2024.
The Austin, Texas, native and former walk-on has started in seven games for Texas this season, compiling 51 tackles (28 solo), one sack and one interception. Despite missing one game due to injury, Taaffe's 51 tackles rank third on the squad. He leads a Texas defense that ranks third in the FBS in rushing defense (80.8), fourth in team sacks (3.50), fourth in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (0.250), fifth in kickoff return defense (14.11), 10th in scoring defense (14.6), 16th in turnovers gained (14), 18th in passes intercepted (9) and 19th in total defense (299.9). Texas ranks sixth amongst P4 teams and second in the SEC in opponent yards per play (4.2 ypp). UT's defense has held seven of its last nine opponents to under 100 rushing yards, dating back to the 2024 season. Additionally, the Longhorns rank fourth in the FBS in defensive stop rate (78.8 percent), curbing opponents to just 1.2 points per drive.
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. 25. 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 sports writers and college football journalists throughout the country.
The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12 on ESPN.
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 NCFAA.org for more information.
Up next, Texas hosts No. 9/11 Vanderbilt at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 1, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on ABC with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sideline reporter) on the call.
