OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior safety Ta’Shawn James of the No. 7-ranked UCLA football team was named one of 15 semifinalists for the 2026 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday morning by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Established in 1986, the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award honors the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
James was one of just three Big Ten defensive backs selected as a semifinalist.
The Oklahoma City native is the Big Ten leader, and ranks third nationally, with four interceptions on the season. He’s also been one of the Bruins’ most reliable tacklers, as he ranks third on the team (and first among members of the secondary) with 36 tackles on the year (17 solo).
James was previously named the Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Bruins in a season-opening win at California on Sept. 5, when he recorded the first two interceptions of his career while contributing eight tackles. He’s one of just two Bruins since 1995 to finish a game with two picks and 8+ tackles (Trey Brown – Sept. 29, 2007 at Oregon State).
He added interceptions in back-to-back road games at Maryland (Sept. 26) and Oregon (Oct. 10).
As a unit, the UCLA defense ranks among the nation’s best in rushing defense (90 yards per game, ninth), total defense (272 yards per game, 10th) and scoring defense (15.3 points per game, 11th). UCLA has been especially stout on third down, ranking third in the FBS with a 25% defensive conversion rate.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will reconvene on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be announced as part of a special presentation Nov. 24 by ESPN. The winner will be announced on Dec. 11 during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935.
About the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The award was established in 1986 and is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the nation’s top collegiate sports honors.