Don’t think that the most explosive players in the nation are only on the offensive side of the ball!
While most people think of dynamic threats as wide receivers or running backs, guys who can break off a big play at any time, being an explosive threat is not exclusive to offensive players. On Carter Bahns’ recent list of the top 10 most explosive players for the 2023 season for 247Sports, he featured Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean at No. 8.
A versatile defender, Cooper DeJean started games at both linebacker and cornerback for Iowa last season and achieved a feat no Hawkeyes player had ever accomplished before; DeJean set a program single-season record with three interception return touchdowns. Of his five interceptions on the year, which tied for the 11th-most in the country, three were pick-sixes. DeJean picked up a first-team All-Big Ten selection from the league’s media and enters 2023 as perhaps the top pass defender in the conference. – Bahns, 247Sports.
The junior defender isn’t really one to be saddled with one specific position. DeJean is just an overall playmaker on the defensive side of the football who can improve your team almost anywhere you put him. Last year he did it all for the Hawkeyes. Whether it was at cornerback, at the CASH position, or as the best dang gunner you will find on special teams, Cooper DeJean was the one making the big plays.
As mentioned, DeJean not only intercepted five passes, he returned three of them for touchdowns. That is nearly half of the total touchdowns that came from Iowa’s quarterback position, as if we haven’t hammered home to you just how bad the passing attack was.
Through his phenomenal play both on defense and in special teams, DeJean had arguably a bigger role than anyone else in putting points on the board for Iowa last year. Punter Tory Taylor also deserves a shout out for that award as well.
Last year it took a while for some to view cornerback Riley Moss as a legitimate NFL option leading into the 2023 NFL draft. That won’t be the case for Cooper DeJean.
Anyone who watches Cooper DeJean knows that athleticism and making dynamic, game-swinging plays is not a problem at all for the Odebolt, Iowa, native.
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