2025 Jim Thorpe Award Odds: Favorites & Betting Lines for Best Defensive Back

By Bill Speros

Sep 24th, 2025 2:23 PM EST

The Jim Thorpe Award honors one of the great athletes of the 20th Century.

The college football awards season may end with the Heisman Trophy, but there are more than 3 dozen awards that honor top players across all positions.

None share a bigger name than the Jim Thorpe Award. Given in honor of perhaps the greatest athlete of the 20th Century, the Jim Thorpe Award honors the nation's top defensive back. It recognizes excellence in athletic performance, sportsmanship, and character.

Texas CB Jahdae Barron captured the JIm Thorpe Award in 2024. He now plays for the Denver Broncos.

This season, Ohio State junior safety Caleb Downs and Texas standout Michael Taaffe share the top spot as co-favorites at +900 to win the Jim Thorpe Award. Downs helped the Bucks ride a stout defense to a national championship in January. You won't find these odds at college betting sites, but we've got you covered below.

LSU's Mansoor Delane and Avieon Terrell of Clemson stand tied at +1000.

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2025 Jim Thorpe Award Odds

Here are the Bookies.com odds for to win the 2025-26 Jim Thorpe Award.

Player Odds & Percentage Chance

PLAYER	SCHOOL	ODDS	PROBABILITY
Caleb Downs	Ohio State	+900	10.0%
Michael Taaffe	Texas	+900	10.0%
Mansoor Delane	LSU	+1000	9.1%
Avieon Terrell	Clemson	+1000	9.1%
Bishop Fitzgerald	USC	+1200	7.7%
D’Angelo Pounds	Indiana	+1200	7.7%
Tacario Davis	Washington	+1750	5.4%
Colton Hood	Tennessee	+1750	5.4%
Demetres Samuel Jr.	Syracuse	+2000	4.8%
Evan Johnson	BYU	+2000	4.8%
Keith Abney II	Arizona State	+3000	3.2%
Marcus Neal Jr.	Iowa State	+3000	3.2%
The Field		+350	22.2%

Both Ohio State and Texas offer users of U.S. betting apps a tempting choice to reach the college football playoff, and win the national championship. Each team will ride its defense as far as it can. The quality of their conference opponents give each team an edge when it comes to voting in the college polls. Ohio State opened its season at home with a victory over Texas in a rematch of 2025 Cotton Bowl.

The fight between the top 4 in this market could well come down to handful of votes.

How Does Jim Thorpe Award Show NFL Potential

Winning the Jim Thorpe Award is a strong predictor of NFL potential. Notable past recipients include Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson (Michigan, 1997), Patrick Peterson (LSU, 2010), and Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama, 2017). Several winners have gone on to enjoy All-Pro careers in the NFL, while others have served as cornerstone leaders at the college level.

Why The Jim Thorpe Award Matters for Bettors

For bettors and fans, the Thorpe Award offers a midseason and year-end indicator of which defensive backs are dominating in coverage, turnovers, and big-play prevention. The award’s watch list can highlight emerging talent before it’s reflected in betting markets for NFL Draft position, Heisman odds (in rare cases), or team win totals. Tracking Thorpe Award contenders can give savvy bettors a sharper edge when evaluating matchups involving elite pass defenses.

Jim Thorpe Award History & Selection Process

First awarded in 1986, the Jim Thorpe Award is presented by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Candidates are evaluated on their on-field performance at cornerback or safety, but voters also weigh leadership, integrity, and contributions to their team’s success. A selection committee comprised of former players, coaches, journalists, and college football experts narrows the field through a midseason watch list, weekly recognitions, and a list of semifinalists and finalists before naming the winner at the College Football Awards Show in December.

Check out Bookies' 2025 Bednarik Award Odds as well.

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