University of Tennessee Athletics
Colton Hood Earns Thorpe Award Semifinalist Honors
October 28, 2025 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the third time in four years, Tennessee has produced a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist as cornerback Colton Hood was tabbed to the list for college football's top defensive back Tuesday by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association.
Hood is one 15 players selected to the semifinalist list that includes three SEC standouts. It's the second straight season that Tennessee developed a Thorpe Award semifinalist cornerback who transferred into the program for that fall. All-American Jermod McCoy was chosen last year in his first season after arriving from Oregon State.
Hood, who arrived on Rocky Top in June, has been spectacular in his first season as a Vol after Tennessee's two starting cornerbacks coming into the year have been sidelined by injuries in McCoy and Rickey Gibson III. Hood has started all eight games and is tied for third in the SEC in pass breakups with seven. He also has 23 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and two defensive touchdowns to his credit.
Hood, a native of McDonough, Georgia, became the first SEC player with an interception return and a fumble return for a touchdown in the same season since 2019.
Hood is the third Tennessee player to be selected as a semifinalist for the award in the Josh Heupel era. In addition to McCoy last season, safety Trevon Flowers was chosen in 2022.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will reconvene on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be announced as part of a special presentation by ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The award recipient is selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, members of the NCFAA and sports writers and college football journalists throughout the country.
2025 Thorpe Award Semifinalists
Mansoor Delane, Cornerback, LSU Sr.
Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State Jr.
Bishop Fitzgerald, Safety, USC Sr.
Elijah Green, Cornerback, Tulsa So.
Colton Hood, Cornerback, Tennessee So.
Chris Johnson, Cornerback, San Diego State Sr.
Jamel Johnson, Safety, TCU Jr.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Safety, Toledo Sr.
Leonard Moore, Cornerback, Notre Dame So.
Antwan Peek Jr., Safety, Cincinnati Jr.
D'Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana Jr.
Keionte Scott, Cornerback, Miami Sr.
Michael Taaffe, Safety, Texas Sr.
Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson Jr.
Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Oregon, Jr.
Hood is one 15 players selected to the semifinalist list that includes three SEC standouts. It's the second straight season that Tennessee developed a Thorpe Award semifinalist cornerback who transferred into the program for that fall. All-American Jermod McCoy was chosen last year in his first season after arriving from Oregon State.
Hood, who arrived on Rocky Top in June, has been spectacular in his first season as a Vol after Tennessee's two starting cornerbacks coming into the year have been sidelined by injuries in McCoy and Rickey Gibson III. Hood has started all eight games and is tied for third in the SEC in pass breakups with seven. He also has 23 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and two defensive touchdowns to his credit.
Hood, a native of McDonough, Georgia, became the first SEC player with an interception return and a fumble return for a touchdown in the same season since 2019.
Hood is the third Tennessee player to be selected as a semifinalist for the award in the Josh Heupel era. In addition to McCoy last season, safety Trevon Flowers was chosen in 2022.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee will reconvene on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be announced as part of a special presentation by ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The award recipient is selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, members of the NCFAA and sports writers and college football journalists throughout the country.
2025 Thorpe Award Semifinalists
Mansoor Delane, Cornerback, LSU Sr.
Caleb Downs, Safety, Ohio State Jr.
Bishop Fitzgerald, Safety, USC Sr.
Elijah Green, Cornerback, Tulsa So.
Colton Hood, Cornerback, Tennessee So.
Chris Johnson, Cornerback, San Diego State Sr.
Jamel Johnson, Safety, TCU Jr.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Safety, Toledo Sr.
Leonard Moore, Cornerback, Notre Dame So.
Antwan Peek Jr., Safety, Cincinnati Jr.
D'Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana Jr.
Keionte Scott, Cornerback, Miami Sr.
Michael Taaffe, Safety, Texas Sr.
Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson Jr.
Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Oregon, Jr.
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