Cincinnati Has the Best Secondary in College Football

The Cincinnati Bearcats have the best secondary in college football.

If you don’t believe me, ask the fine folks at the Jim Thorpe Association.

Yesterday, three members of the Bearcats secondary were named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watchlist.

Cincinnati was the only school with three players named to the illustrious list.

The Jim Thorpe Award is an annual prize awarded by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame to honor the best defensive back in college football.

The three Bearcats who were named to the list were safeties Derrick Forrest and James Wiggins as well as cornerback Ahmad Gardner.

Sophomore sensation Ahmad Gardner is probably the front runner among the group, having returned 2 INTS for touchdowns and earning All-AAC honors as a freshman in 2019.

Don’t shortchange UC’s pair of powerhouse safeties in this discussion. Both Forrest and Wiggins are linebackers in safeties bodies. Big, physical players that no sane wide receiver wants to face over the middle. Forrest was also the Bearcats’ leading tackler in 2019, making significant contributions in the run defense.

Check back with Down the Drive for full coverage of the Bearcats’ 2020 campaign.