OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second straight season, University of Utah safety Cole Bishop has earned a spot on the Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List, announced today by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Bishop is one of 50 players named to the list with the award given annually to the best defensive back in the nation. He is also on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and has been named a preseason All-American by SIS, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and Walter Camp.
The Peachtree City, Ga., native has played in 24 career games at Utah with 19 starts, entering the 2023 season ranking second among active Pac-12 defensive backs with 5.7 tackles per game. He is also a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning honorable mention in 2022 and 2021.
In 2022, Bishop started all 14 games with 13 starts at safety, leading the team in tackles with 83 (6.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks). He also had four passes defended (1 INT, 3 PBU) and a fumble recovery.
He averaged 5.6 tackles in the last five games of the season, including racking up nine against USC in the Pac-12 title game and six against Penn State in the Rose Bowl. He posted a career-high 12 tackles in the season opener against Florida, also adding a quarterback hurry against the Gators.
In his collegiate debut in 2021, Bishop led all true freshmen on the team with 54 tackles (9.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) with five pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Along with his season-high eight tackles against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game and against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, he also blocked a field goal against Oregon in the regular season.
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COMING SOON
The Utes will open 2023 at home, hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The game against the Gators will be a Red Out with fans encouraged to wear red.
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