Cooper DeJean may need to start looking at trophy cases pretty soon if things continue on the current trend. The Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback is one of the most highly anticipated players in the entire Big Ten ahead of the 2023 college football season.
Already named as the preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, DeJean has found himself named to many of the nation’s most highly regarded watch lists for defensive players. He has been named to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List which honors the best player in college football. DeJean is also on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List which goes to college football’s most versatile player.
Most recently, DeJean appears on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The award is given out annually to the best defensive back in college football.
Coop ➡️ @jimthorpeaward Watch List@cdejean23 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/HKsDgTaqbi
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 10, 2023
Iowa does have one previous winner of the Jim Thorpe Award when Desmond King took home the award in 2015. King’s 2015-16 season included 72 tackles, 21 pass breakups, and eight interceptions.
Last year, DeJean posted 75 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and five interceptions. The two are extraordinarily similar and DeJean will look to improve on his numbers in an effort to put together one of the best seasons an Iowa defensive back has ever done.
Like King, DeJean may get the treatment that King got after his monster year when teams didn’t throw his way. King’s tackles and interceptions went down but that is largely a byproduct of fewer chances. So, while the numbers went down, it is a good thing to hear less about a cornerback.
DeJean would love to put together a year that stuffs the stat sheet, but sometimes with cornerbacks, less truly can be more.
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