A year after being named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, it’s no surprise that Jordan Whitehead was placed on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe award, which is given to the top defensive back in college football.
After cracking Pitt’s starting lineup as a true freshman, Whitehead set a Pitt freshman record by making 109 tackles. The Central Valley graduate is Pitt’s first Thorpe Award watch-list nominee since Jarred Holey in 2012. Dom DeCicco was also named as a finalist in 2010.
Last week, Whitehead was also named to the Watch Lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the National Player of the Year.
