The nation’s top defensive back has officially been unveiled for the 2023 college football season. Given out to the best defender on the back end, the 2023 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner is none other than Air Force S Trey Taylor.
Amid a star-studded group of finalists, Taylor took home the sport’s top award for a defensive back.
Trey Taylor Wins 2023 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Handed out by Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Jim Thorpe Award has been given to the nation’s top defensive back since the 1986 season.
This season, the finalists came from across the country, but all had one thing in common: defensive dominance.
In the end, it was Taylor who defeated Cooper Dejean from Iowa and Malaki Starks from Georiga.
Taylor was a force to be reckoned with for the Falcons in 2023. He recorded three interceptions and four pass breakups while racking up 71 total tackles from his safety position for Air Force. A constant big-play threat, Taylor came up big when his team needed him to and even recorded a pick-six this season.
However, each defender had his own rightful claim to the award.
MORE: List of Jim Thorpe Award Winners by Year
Starks was a massive contributor to one of the nation’s top defenses, and he recorded two interceptions in his second season in a row. Starks’ ball-hawking skills saw him rip through the opponent’s passing games with seven pass breakups and 51 total tackles. A sensational sophomore, Starks is one of the sport’s top emerging stars.
DeJean’s season didn’t end the way he wanted it to after sustaining an injury during practice, but he was every bit of a lockdown cornerback when he was on the field in 2023. He recorded two interceptions and five pass breakups, a remarkable feat considering the fact that he was hardly targeted due to his sticky coverage skills.
A close-fought race, the Jim Thorpe Award winner is an illustrious title that Taylor can now add to their titles going forward.