Texas safety Jelani McDonald earned a Jim Thorpe Award watch list honors after leading the Longhorns in tackles and interceptions during a dominant 2025 season.
Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald is officially on the Jim Thorpe Award radar, and after the season he put together in 2025, that shouldn't surprise anybody.
The senior landed on the preseason watch list for the award honoring college football’s top defensive back after becoming one of the most productive pieces of the Longhorns’ defense last fall.
McDonald started all 13 games and led Texas with 80 tackles and three interceptions, a rare combination of production for a defensive back. He also recorded 4.0 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery.
In other words, McDonald wasn’t just cleaning up plays in the secondary. He was everywhere.
His biggest statistical performance came at Mississippi State, where he piled up a career-high 14 tackles. A week earlier at Kentucky, McDonald registered nine solo stops and two tackles for loss totaling 12 yards.
He also showed up in Texas’ biggest rivalry games.
McDonald made eight tackles in the Red River Rivalry victory over Oklahoma and later delivered nine tackles, including six solo stops, as the Longhorns beat No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17.
The interceptions came throughout the schedule as well. McDonald picked off passes against UTEP, Sam Houston and Arkansas, returning the Arkansas interception 11 yards.
That versatility gives Texas something every elite defense needs: a defensive back who can cover, tackle and create turnovers without disappearing against the run.
McDonald enters 2026 as a preseason All-SEC Third Team selection, but the Thorpe Award recognition suggests his ceiling could be much higher.
Texas has plenty of history with this trophy, too.
Jahdae Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2024, joining former Longhorn greats Michael Huff and Aaron Ross. Texas now shares the record for most Thorpe winners with LSU and Oklahoma at three apiece.
McDonald will have a chance to add his name to that group.
Semifinalists are scheduled to be announced Oct. 27, followed by three finalists on Nov. 24. The winner will be revealed Dec. 11.
For now, McDonald has something more immediate to handle. Texas opens Sept. 5 against Texas State in Austin.
After leading the Longhorns in tackles and interceptions last season, McDonald won't be sneaking up on anybody anymore.
