UGA football defensive backs Malaki Starks and Daylen Everette have both been named to the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, the Jim Thorpe Association and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) have announced.
The Jim Thorpe Award is an annual award presented “to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.”
30-50 student-athletes are named to the list annually by a screening committee and others are added as the season progresses. The field will be narrowed to up to 15 semifinalists in October. Three finalists will be announced at a later date, and the winner will be selected and announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 12 live on ESPN.
This season, 42 student-athletes were named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List.
Malaki Starks, who hails from Jefferson, Ga., started at defensive back in all 14 games last season. He finished the season with 52 total tackles and also recorded two interceptions, which resulted in him being named a 2023 Consensus All-America First Team player.
Daylen Everette hails from Norfolk, Va. He also started at defensive back in all 14 games last season, finishing with 39 tackles, including three for a loss of four yards, with 23 solo stops.
The Georgia Bulldogs are set to open the 2024 season against the Clemson Tigers in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, Aug. 31. The game will be televised live by ABC at noon ET (Buy Tickets).