The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football’s Barron honored at Jim Thorpe Award banquet
02.05.2025 | Football
The 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner was recognized at the Jim Thorpe Award banquet in Oklahoma City Tuesday night.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football's Jahdae Barron was honored at the Jim Thorpe Award banquet Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. Barron was named the award's recipient on Dec. 12 as part of the The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.
Barron traveled along with Texas' Defensive Passing Game Coordinator and Secondaries coach Terry Joseph, Texas' Assistant Director of Player Development and 2005 Thorpe Award winner Michael Huff and UT Athletics' Senior Associate Athletics Director for Football Communications John Bianco to Oklahoma City for the official award ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Barron is the third Longhorn to win the award with safety Michael Huff (2005) and cornerback Aaron Ross (2006) taking it home in back-to-back years. Barron was the program's sixth finalist for the award. Barron was also a finalist for the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Texas is tied LSU and Oklahoma with the most Thorpe Award winners all-time with three apiece.
The Austin, Texas, product was tabbed a consensus All-American by the five All-America teams that were released on Dec. 19. With Barron earning consensus All-American distinguishment, there are now 50 Longhorns (65 total consensus All-America honors) who claim consensus All-American status, which ties for the ninth-most in NCAA history. He hauled in first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, FWAA and The Sporting News while claiming second-team praise from the AFCA and Walter Camp.
During his five-year career on the Forty Acres, Barron played in 57 games with 39 starts. Following Texas' 20-10 road win at Arkansas on Nov. 16, Barron was recognized as the Thorpe Award's National Player of the Week, the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the Reese's Senior Bowl's Defensive Player of the Week. Barron was one of the most versatile defensive backs in the nation, consistently playing multiple positions in the Texas defensive backfield, while providing leadership as a fifth-year veteran. He led the Longhorns in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (11) to go along with 67 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Proving to be one of the nation's most outstanding defensive playmakers this season, Barron played an integral role in a dominant Texas defense that led the FBS in total interceptions (22) while ranking No. 2 in turnovers gained (31) and team passing efficiency defense (104.56). UT also ranked third in the FBS in total defense (283.4 ypg), scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and red zone defense (0.692) while also sitting seventh in the nation in passing yards allowed (173.8 ypg).
