Wonder no longer if Deandre Baker “might be” one of the best defensive backs in the country.
Thursday night in Atlanta, Baker won the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, stamping him as the nation’s top DB. He beat out Julian Love of Notre Dame and Greedy Williams of LSU.
He becomes the first Bulldog to win the award. Former Bulldog All-American Champ Bailey was the only other Georgia finalist in 1998.
The senior has two interceptions heading into Georgia’s Sugar Bowl date with Texas, with 10 breakups and a forced fumble. Baker follows former teammate Roquan Smith, who won the Butkus Award last year. That honor goes annually to the nation’s top linebacker.
On Wednesday, Baker confirmed an earlier report by UGASports that he will play in the Sugar Bowl. This is in contrast to other draft-eligible seniors who are skipping the game, such as Williams of LSU.
Baker will receive the Award Feb. 5 in Oklahoma City.
In addition, sophomore left tackle Andrew Thomas earned Walter Camp second-team All-America honors after being named a Freshman All-American by several outlets in 2017. Baker will be honored at a Thorpe Award banquet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 5, 2019.
The Thorpe Award wasn’t the only award for Baker on Thursday. Baker and teammate Andrew Thomas were also included on the 2018 Walter Camp All-America Team, giving the Bulldogs three players on the team in two years (Roquan Smith, 2017). Baker becomes the first Georgia All-American from the defensive backfield since Bacarri Rambo in 2011, and the first Georgia defensive back to receive the Walter Camp designation since Greg Blue and Thomas Davis garnered the honor back to back in 2004-05.
Thomas, who moved from right tackle to start the year, opened this season at left tackle and played the position for 12 of the Bulldogs' 13 games. He was named to the second-team squad. Thomas helped an offense that leads the SEC in rushing offense at 251.6 yards per game and that currently features one senior, two sophomores, and two freshmen as starters. Georgia averaged 39.2 points per game during their second straight run to the SEC Championship Game and their first invitation to the Sugar Bowl since 2008.
Thomas and his teammates in the trenches were named together as a Joe Moore Award finalist earlier this week for being one of the top offensive lines in the nation.
