Despite a broken thumb, Taaffe's standout season earns him Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist recognition, highlighting his crucial defensive impact.
Just over a week ago, star safety Michael Taaffe broke his thumb in an overtime win against the Kentucky Wildcats. On Saturday, his absence was heavily felt as the Texas defense did what they had yet to do all season–let an opposing team score 30+ points on them.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, Taaffe was officially recognized as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Most recently won by former Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, the annually presented award recognizes the best defensive back in the country. Determined by a player's performance on the field, athletic ability and character, it’s one of the most valuable trophies a college football player can put on their shelf
While Taaffe may be the type of player who will always pick a national championship over an individual award, he’s playing some of the best football of his career and deserves any praise he can get.
Despite missing a game, the former walk-on ranks third on the team in tackles with 51. On top of that, he adds an interception and a sack to his season resume. However, his play speaks far beyond anything that would appear on the stat sheet, something defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has stressed heavily throughout Taaffe’s career at Texas.
“Every call is not the perfect call and he’s one of those guys that can fix calls, right? And then he just has a really good understanding of the defense, understanding of offensive football, so his communication back there fixes a lot of issues that show up throughout a game,” Kwiatkowski said in a preseason camp before the start of the 2025 season.
Taaffe is looking to become the fourth Texas player to win the award. The last two Texas players to win the award before Jahdae Barron were Michael Huff and Aaron Ross, who won their awards in back-to-back years from 2005-2006.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will meet on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to decide three finalists for the award, with fans having to wait till the following Tuesday to hear their decisions.
After that, the winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12, on ESPN’s live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards.
Michael Taaffe doesn’t need this award to showcase the player he is. The fans know who he is, the coaches know who he is and most importantly, he knows who he is. Award or not, Taaffe’s leadership and resilience have already cemented his legacy in burnt orange.