Six SEC players, including Florida teammates Janoris Jenkins and Will Hill, are on the 2010 Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list. The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the nation’s best defensive back, and it hasn’t been an award that the SEC has dominated through the years. Tennessee safety Eric Berry was named the 2009 winner, but he was only the fourth SEC player in the last 20 years to win the award. That said, the SEC should have a good chance to make it two in a row this season. In addition to Jenkins and Hill, the other four from the conference on the preseason watch list are LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, Alabama safety Mark Barron, South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin. The SEC, Big 12 and ACC all placed six players on the list, which included 35 players. Here’s the entire list: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska Mark Barron, S, Alabama Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia Curtis Brown, CB, Texas Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina Brandon Burton, CB, Utah Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State Don Decicco, S, Pittsburgh Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia Blake Gideon, S, Texas Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina Brandon Harris, CB, Miami Will Hill, S, Florida Jermale Hines, S, Ohio State Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia Davon House, CB, New Mexico State Duke Ihenacho, S, San Jose State Jaiquwn Jarrett, S, Temple Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida Jeron Johnson, S, Boise State Tejay Johnson, S, TCU Shiloh Keo, S, Idaho Brian Lainhart, S, Kent State DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson Rahim Moore, S, UCLA Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU Tyler Sash, S, Iowa Robert Sands, S, West Virginia Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina Aaron Williams, CB, Texas

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Six SEC players on Thorpe list