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Cincinnati Bearcats Football Safety Antwan Peek Jr. Named Semifinalist For National Award

Cincinnati could be reeling in some hardware this season.
Russell Heltman|
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive back Antwan Peek Jr. (46) tackles UCF Knights tight end Dylan Wade (0) in the first quarter of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and UCF Knights at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Oct. 11, 2025.
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive back Antwan Peek Jr. (46) tackles UCF Knights tight end Dylan Wade (0) in the first quarter of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and UCF Knights at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Oct. 11, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — Antwan Peek Jr. is in the semifinalist mix for the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award, earned every college football season by the nation's top defensive back.

Cincinnati had a winner this decade when Coby Bryant took home the honor following the 2021 season. He and 2000 Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin are the only national award winners in school history.

Peek has totaled 28 tackles this season, as well as two tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He grades out as one of the top safeties in the nation on Pro Football Focus.

His 90 overall grade ranks fourth in the country at his position group.

"Punching the ball out and just getting more turnovers. That's been one of the big emphases that we have been talking about," Peek said to me earlier in the season. "And then I feel like just the little things, stuff like footwork, communication, hand signals, just the little things that we can improve on would definitely make us even better throughout the season."

He will try to keep it rolling this week against the Utah Utes.

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Russ Heltman
RUSSELL HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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