Iowa's Desmond King wins Jim Thorpe Award

ATLANTA (AP) Iowa's Desmond King has won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation's best defensive back. The award was presented Thursday night. King, a junior

ATLANTA (AP) Iowa's Desmond King has won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation's best defensive back.

The award was presented Thursday night.

King, a junior cornerback, led Iowa with eight interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, this season. He is the first Iowa player to win the honor. He became the Big Ten's seventh winner, tying the Southeastern Conference for the lead.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

King was selected over Duke's Jeremy Cash and Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III.

Louisville's Gerod Holliman won the award last year.

---

AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org