FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon is one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award.
The Thorpe Award is presented by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame to the nation's best defensive back. Catalon is the second Arkansas player to be named a semifinalist for a national position award this season. Linebacker Grant Morgan is one of 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award.
Catalon, a redshirt freshman, has 89 tackles and three interceptions this season, including an interception he returned 35 yards for a touchdown during a game against Ole Miss in October. Catlon is tied for third in the SEC in total tackles and is tied for second in interceptions.
Catalon has played in all nine of the Razorbacks' games, but he has missed four full quarters and two partial quarters due to targeting ejections during games against Texas A&M and LSU.
Catalon is one of three semifinalists from the SEC for this year's Thorpe Award, along with Alabama's Patrick Surtain II and Florida's Kaiir Elam. The SEC has had the last three Thorpe Award winners — Grant Delpit of LSU in 2019, Deandre Baker of Georgia in 2018 and Minkah Fitzpatrick of Alabama in 2017.
Other semifinalists for this year's award are Bubba Bolden of Miami, Richie Grant of Central Florida, Allie Green of Tulsa, Shemar Jean-Charles of Appalachian State, Brandon Joseph of Northwestern, Trevon Moehrig of TCU, Tykee Smith of West Virginia, Shaun Wade of Ohio State and James Wiggins of Cincinnati.
Three finalists for the award will be announced Dec. 22. The winner will be announced Jan. 7 as part of ESPN's College Football Awards Show.
No Arkansas player has won the Thorpe Award. Former Razorback safety Steve Atwater was a finalist for the 1988 award won by Deion Sanders of Florida State.