COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Five Mountain West football players are among the 42 student-athletes on the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List, as announced today by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) and Jim Thorpe Association. The award honors the nation’s best defensive back and was won last season by Air Force’s Trey Taylor.
Boise State’s A’Marion McCoy and Seyi Oladipo, Colorado State’s Jack Howell, UNLV’s Cameron Oliver and Utah State’s Ike Larsen represent the MW on the 2024 preseason watch list.
The MW’s five selections trail only the Big Ten’s seven and are tied with the ACC and Big 12 for second-most among FBS conferences.
The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the semifinalists and finalists lists as the season progresses.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 29. A screening committee consisting of OSHOF members monitors all defensive backs throughout the season, including watch list players, and narrows the field to up to 15 semifinalists.
Finalists will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.
The winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 12, during the ESPN live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards. The official presentation of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award takes place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. The current winner and all former winners are invited each year to celebrate. Over 600 supporters attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year, including many celebrities and dignitaries.
Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List (MW representatives)
A’Marion McCoy, Sr., Boise State
Seyi Oladipo, Sr., Boise State
Jack Howell, Sr., Colorado State
Cameron Oliver, Sr., UNLV
Ike Larsen, Jr., Utah State
