Notre Dame Football Standouts Make Thorpe Award Watch List

Notre Dame will have one of college football's top defensive backfields in 2024. The unit received more validation when two Fighting Irish DBs were named to the Thorpe Award Watch List.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with safety Xavier Watts (0) after Watts intercepted a pass in the first quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-20. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Thorpe Award Watch List features two star Notre Dame defensive backs, junior CB Benjamin Morrison and senior S Xavier Watts. The Thorpe Award, named in honor of legendary athlete Jim Thorpe, has been annually awarded to college football's best defensive back since 1986.

Notre Dame is one of just five schools with multiple players on this year's watch list, joining Ohio State, Georgia, Boise State, and Appalachian State. Morrison and Watts will enter this season as All-American candidates with bright futures in the NFL. Morrison, a Thorpe Award semifinalist last season, is one of the country's premier pass defenders and will have a chance to be the first corner taken next April. Watts was a unanimous All-American and the Nagurski Award winner in 2023 after picking off seven passes.

The Fighting Irish led the nation in 2023 in pass efficiency defense and fewest TD passes allowed, and ranked top 10 in interceptions, completion percentage, and yards allowed per game. With Morrison and Watts back for another year, Notre Dame will once again have one of the stingiest pass defenses in America.

No Notre Dame player has even won the Thorpe Award. Before Morrison a year ago, the most recent Fighting Irish semifinalist was S Kyle Hamilton in 2021. Hamilton was a first round pick of Baltimore in 2022 and is coming off a Pro Bowl second season with the Ravens. Notre Dame has not had a Thorpe Award finalist since current Seattle Seahawks S Julian Love in 2018.

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