Ohio State is one of just four schools with two defensive backs on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list.
Sophomore cornerback Denzel Burke and redshirt junior safety Ronnie Hickman were both named Monday to the preseason watch list for the award, which honors college football’s top defensive back. The only other schools with two defensive backs on the 35-player watch list are Georgia (Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith), Penn State (Ji’Ayir Brown and Joey Porter Jr.) and Utah (Cole Bishop and Clark Phillips III).
Burke and Hickman are both entering their second season as starters in Ohio State’s secondary. Burke was already Ohio State’s No. 1 cornerback as a true freshman and is poised to continue in that role in 2022, while Hickman is set to move to the “adjuster” free safety position after playing the “bullet” strong safety role in OSU’s 2021 defense.
They join a group of Ohio State offensive players who were named to watch lists last week that includes C.J. Stroud (Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards), TreVeyon Henderson (Maxwell and Doak Walker awards), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Maxwell and Biletnikoff awards) and Luke Wypler (Rimington Trophy).
