Miami Hurricane defensive backs, Jaquan Johnson and Michael Jackson, appear on the Jim Thorpe Award watchlist released today.

Presented annually, the Jim Thorpe Award is given to the best defensive back in college football. Johnson is a senior safety from Miami, Florida. In 2017, he racked up 96 tackles, a sack, four interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. With stats like that, Johnson served as the poster child for the turnover chain that Coach Mark Richt once described as “the best thing since sliced bread.”

Another veteran of the turnover chain is Birmingham, Alabama senior Michael Jackson, who earned rave reviews so far in his collegiate career as a shutdown cornerback. Jackson came into his own last season accumulating 43 tackles, one sack, four interceptions, and five PD’s. Bennie Blades is the last Hurricane to receive the award back in 1987. Click this link to peruse the entire 2018 Thorpe Award watchlist.