Utah Safety Cole Bishop On Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
Aug 10, 2023, 11:34 AM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah safety Cole Bishop has been placed on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list for the 2023 football season.
The Jim Thorpe Award is given annually to the best defensive back in the country. Bishop is one of 50 players who has been named to the list in the preseason.
Earlier in the offseason, Bishop was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list while also being named a preseason All-American by SIS, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and Walter Camp.
Congrats @Cole_bishop_8 on being named to the Jim Thorpe Award watchlist, given annually to the best defensive back in college football 🙌 https://t.co/5CL6fV3jv1 pic.twitter.com/4v1sjoE4Z7
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 10, 2023
Cole Bishop’s Impact For The Utes
The junior out of Peachtree City, Georgia has been a steady force in the defensive backfield for the Utes over the past two seasons and is expected to have another great year.
Bishop has played in 24 career games at Utah with 19 starts so far. He is entering the 2023 season ranked second among active Pac-12 defensive backs with 5.7 tackles per game.
Bishop is also a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning honorable mentions in Utah football’s 2022 and 2021 back-to-back title seasons.
Last season, Bishop started all 14 games with 13 starts at safety and lead the team in tackles with 83 (6.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks). Bishop also had four passes defended (1 INT, 3 PBU) and a fumble recovery.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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