Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes' Stat Comparison Against Jim Thorpe Award Finalists
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Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes has had a record-setting season, but he was not named a finalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday morning.
The three finalists for the award, which is presented annually to the top defensive back in college football, are Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson of TCU, Utah's Clark Phillips III and Devon Witherspoon of Illinois. Although these players had outstanding seasons, none of them quite matched up to Forbes statistically.
Forbes set the SEC and FBS record for most career pick-sixes, recording three on the season to bring his total to six during his time as a Bulldog. Those records alone should have set him apart from the rest of the nation's defensive backs as soon as they were set.
Forbes had six total interceptions this year, with Phillips being the only other finalist to notch that many takeaways that included two returned for touchdowns. Hodges-Tomlinson and Witherspoon had three interceptions each -- none of which resulted in scores.
None of the players had a fumble recovery, but Hodges-Tomlinson did have a forced fumble. Most of them had a relatively close total number of tackles: Forbes finished with 39 tackles, while Hodges-Tomlinson had 40 and Witherspoon notched 41. Phillips was the lone outlier with 23 tackles.
Phillips also had the least amount of pass breakups, finishing the season with five. Forbes and Hodges-Tomlinson had nine and 10 PBU, respectively. Witherspoon easily surpassed everyone else with 14 breakups in 2022.
Forbes recorded one tackle-for-loss while each of the finalists had two or 2.5 tackles-for-loss, but he had one thing that nobody else had: a blocked kick. The athlete's successful attempt to prevent a field goal during MSU's game against Texas A&M resulted in a touchdown return by teammate DeCamerion Richardson.
Overall, Forbes' stats are nearly equal to or better than the majority of those that were recorded by the three finalists this season. It's also important to note that the native of Grenada, Mississippi, played on a team that was credited as having one of the toughest schedules in college football. His competition was some of the fiercest in the country, yet he still prevailed, even when he was forced to miss a game due to a minor injury.
Given the statistical comparison between Forbes and the three student-athletes who were named finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, it's safe to say that the Mississippi State standout was egregiously overlooked. He will have the chance to prove himself in the postseason and should expect to spend many seasons in the NFL beginning soon.
