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Michael Taaffe named Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist

by: Evan Vieth4 hours ago
NCAA Football: Texas at Kentucky
Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Less than a year after Texas CB Jahdae Barron won the award himself, Texas has yet another semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe award in safety Michael Taaffe.

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The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) and Jim Thorpe Association announced today that Taaffe is one of 15 semifinalists for the award given annually to the best defensive back in college football.

Taaffe is onto a fantastic start to the year, racking up 34 tackles, 41 receiving yards against, a sack and an interception. His 41 yards against is third fewest among P4 safeties with over 400 snaps played, and he ranks in the top five fewest missed tackles and yards per reception.

Taaffe, like Barron, is a veteran Austin native who captains a prominent Texas secondary, one who greatly missed his leadership and level of play when he was out with injury against Mississppi State last week. Taaffe is expected to miss this week’s matchup against Vanderbilt before a bye and a hopeful return at Georgia.

The Thorpe semifinalist nod adds to a list of awards Taaffe is being recognized for, as he is also a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

Taaffe is looking to become the fourth Longhorn to win the prestigeous award, with Michael Huff and Aaron Ross winning it back-to-back in 2005-06. The Longhorns are looking for that again with 2024-25.

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.

2025 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalists

Mansoor Delane, Cornerback, LSU, Sr.
Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State, Jr.
Bishop Fitzgerald, Safety, USC, Sr.
Elijah Green, Cornerback, Tulsa, So.
Colton Hood, Cornerback, Tennessee, So.
Chris Johnson, Cornerback, San Diego State, Sr.
Jamel Johnson, Safety, TCU, Jr.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Safety, Toledo, Sr.
Leonard Moore, Cornerback, Notre Dame, So.
Antwan Peek Jr., Safety, Cincinnati, Jr.
D’Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana, Jr.
Keionte Scott, Cornerback, Miami, Sr.
Michael Taaffe, Safety, Texas, Sr.
Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson, Jr.
Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Oregon, Jr.

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