The latest college football award to unveil its preseason watch list is the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, and there's an Ohio State player on it as well. Established in 1986 and managed by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the award is named after venerable multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe and is awarded each year to the best defensive back in college football.
Buckeye defensive back Caleb Downs took home the honor last season, and the player regarded as his replacement, Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr., is the Buckeye on the award's preseason watch list unveiled last week.
Little, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, began his career at Alabama, but spent the last two seasons with Florida State, leading the Seminoles as a team captain with 76 tackles last year. His performance earned him a selection to the Second-Team All-ACC team last year. He will be counted on to be a versatile part of the defense and has been praised for his work and playmaking ability in the preseason.
.@EarlLittleJr1 earns a spot on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wTqKk1hCue
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 12, 2026
Ohio State has quite the history of taking home the Thorpe, tying Oklahoma, LSU, and Texas as programs with the most recipients, with three each. In addition to Downs last season, Antoine Winfield (1998) and Malcolm Jenkins (2008) were also honored.
The Thorpe will be announced and awarded along with a slew of others during ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 11.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State defensive back named to Thorpe 2026 preseason watch list