Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Taylor Named to Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List
7/31/2024 11:24:00 AM | Football
Honors top defensive back in college football
HOUSTON – Rice safety Gabriel Taylor added to his list of preseason accolades on Wednesday, as he was named one of 42 defensive backs to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List.
Taylor is a consensus preseason All-AAC selection heading into 2024 after earning honorable mention honors from conference coaches last season. He recorded 59 tackles and 10 passes defended, with two interceptions and eight breakups. He enters 2024 as the Owls' active leader with seven interceptions, and his 178 career interception return yards rank eighth in school history.
The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the list as the season progresses.
The semifinalists will be announced on October 29 and the finalists on November 26. The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN on December 12, and the official presentation will take place at the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet on February 4, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and past award recipients, please visit oklahomasportshalloffame.org.
Taylor and the Owls will open training camp for the 2024 season on Friday, August 2.
Taylor is a consensus preseason All-AAC selection heading into 2024 after earning honorable mention honors from conference coaches last season. He recorded 59 tackles and 10 passes defended, with two interceptions and eight breakups. He enters 2024 as the Owls' active leader with seven interceptions, and his 178 career interception return yards rank eighth in school history.
The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the list as the season progresses.
The semifinalists will be announced on October 29 and the finalists on November 26. The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN on December 12, and the official presentation will take place at the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet on February 4, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and past award recipients, please visit oklahomasportshalloffame.org.
Taylor and the Owls will open training camp for the 2024 season on Friday, August 2.
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