Oregon State senior cornerback Brandon Hughes was selected recently as one of 40 preseason candidates for the 24th annual Jim Thorpe Award. The award is presented annually to the nation’s premier defensive back.
Number 36 has played in 36 games as a Beaver and has made 31 starts in the secondary – even though he was recruited as a wide receiver.
He made 57 tackles last season – seven tackles for a loss – the fifth-highest total on the team. The 2007 Pac-10 Conference Second Team honoree tied for fifth in the league with 12 pass deflections and was part of the four-and-out defensive series against No. 2 California last season that secured the upset win in Berkeley.
The Jim Thorpe Award is voted on by a panelist of sportswriters, sportscasters, coaches and former players.
The three finalists are invited to the ESPN College Football Awards Show in Orlando in December. The formal presentation is Feb. 3 in Oklahoma City.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 178-pound Bloomington Ill. native, Hughes, was also announced as a candidate for the Lott Trophy in April.
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