The Jim Thorpe Award watch list is released

Can Tyrann Mathieu bring home two consecutive Thorpe Awards for LSU? (US Presswire)

The watch list has arrived in college football. The annual individual awards given at the end of the season will be rolling out their initial lists over the next couple weeks, and college football fans get their first round of debatable distinctions for 2012.

On Friday The Jim Thorpe Association released the watch list for the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award. The Jim Thrope Award is given annually by the association to the best defensive back in the country. Last season the award went to LSU's Morris Claiborne, and in 2012 two of Claiborne's former teammates made the list along with 33 other players.

2012 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

• Johnny Adams, Michigan State, CB
• Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan, S
• Ricardo Allen, Purdue, CB
• David Amerson, North Carolina State, CB
• Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State, CB
• C.J. Barnett, State" data-canon="Ohio Bobcats" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0">, S
• John Boyett, Oregon, S
• Chad Boyd, Louisiana Tech, S
• Brodrick Brown, State" data-canon="Oklahoma Sooners" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0">, CB
• Travis Carrie, Ohio, CB
• Jonathan Cyprien, FIU, S
• Matt Elam, Florida, S
• D.J. Hayden, Houston, CB
• Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh, S
• Kemal Ishmael, UCF, S
• Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma, S
• Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State, S
• Robert Lester, Alabama, S
• Isaiah Lewis, Michigan State, S
• Nigel Malone, Kansas State, CB
• Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, S
• Dexter McCoil, Tulsa, S
• T.J. McDonald, Southern California, S
• Leon McFadden, San Diego State, CB
• Dayonne Nunley, Miami (OH), CB
• Jordan Poyer, Oregon State, CB
• Eric Reid, LSU, S
• Xavier Rhodes, Florida State, CB
• Nickell Robey, Southern California, CB
• Logan Ryan, Rutgers, CB
• Johnnie Simon, Western Michigan, S
• Hakeem Smith, Louisville, S
• Brynden Trawick, Troy, S
• Kenny Vaccaro, Texas, S
• Deron Wilson, Southern Mississippi, CB