Can Tyrann Mathieu bring home two consecutive Thorpe Awards for LSU? (US Presswire)

The watch list has arrived in college football. The annual individual awards given at the end of the season will be rolling out their initial lists over the next couple weeks, and college football fans get their first round of debatable distinctions for 2012.

On Friday The Jim Thorpe Association released the watch list for the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award. The Jim Thrope Award is given annually by the association to the best defensive back in the country. Last season the award went to LSU's Morris Claiborne, and in 2012 two of Claiborne's former teammates made the list along with 33 other players.

2012 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

Jim Thorpe Watch List by conference
  • SEC - 5
  • Big 12 - 4
  • Big Ten - 4
  • C-USA - 4
  • MAC - 4
  • Pac-12 - 4
  • ACC - 3
  • Big East - 3
  • Sun Belt - 2
  • Mountain West - 1
  • WAC - 1