Deion Sanders is never shy about advocating for his players, especially when he feels they’ve been snubbed. He had some words for some voters after the finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award were announced on Tuesday. This award celebrates the nation’s top defensive back, and Travis Hunter, the Heisman frontrunner, was left off the list. Jahdae Barron (Texas), Malaki Starks (Georgia), and Caleb Downs (Ohio State) are the finalists for the award. In a press conference, Coach Prime slammed the voters for the award for leaving off Hunter.
Deion Sanders Upset Over Jim Thorpe Award Finalists
Sanders is a former winner of the Jim Thorpe Award. He wasn’t happy with the committee that gave him the award. He gave a passionate speech in a press conference, slamming the committee that decides the finalists. He didn’t take anything away from the players who were named but expressed outrage for his star player not being recognized.
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Jim Thorpe Award? You can have my award. You can have it back. As a matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust. So, Travis can have my Thorpe Award.”
“If this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award… this young man is the best defensive back in college football.”
There are many that would agree with Sanders. Travis Hunter has been one of the most exciting players in college football. The reason he is leading the Heisman race is not simply because of his two-way ability. He is elite on both sides of the ball. How do his stats compare to the finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award?
Stats Comparison
Many analysts use advanced stats to make decisions for these awards. Let’s stick to the basics for the purposes of this comparison. Here are the stats for the Jim Thorpe Award finalists and the stats for Travis Hunter.
- Jahdae Barron: 41 tackles, 27 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 8 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions
- Malaki Starks: 35 tackles, 20 solo tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 interceptions
- Caleb Downs: 50 tackles, 29 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and 0 interceptions
- Travis Hunter: 31 tackles, 20 solo tackles, 1 tackles for loss, 9 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions
Hunter’s stats are comparable to the rest of the finalists. He is on the low end in terms of tackles but has more pass breakups than all of them and is second in interceptions of the bunch. All of these players have had elite seasons, and the committee had to choose three finalists.
Huge Snub?
I see why Deion Sanders and maybe Travis Hunter feel snubbed on the award. However, it’s tough to look at the players who were nominated for the award and think one of them in undeserving. There were many elite defensive backs this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Barron and Downs have not given up a touchdown in coverage, and Starks only gave up one. All three of these players could win the Jim Thorpe Award, and I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
The issue with evaluating Hunter for an award like this is we have to take out his offensive production. This award doesn’t take into account what he did on the offensive end. When we look at his defensive stats, they are very good. He is clearly a top-ten defensive back in college football. However, in looking at these stats, I can see why the Colorado star was left off the list.
Final Thoughts
The debates are just beginning. It is college football awards season, and there will always be snubs. The Heisman race is becoming a huge controversy, with Hunter and Ashton Jeanty both having historic seasons. Only one can win the award. No matter what happens, someone will feel snubbed. There have been so many great players in college football this season, and it is always tough to choose the best of the best. It makes sense that Hunter and Sanders feel like the Colorado star was snubbed, but this is the nature of the college football awards season.
