Jay Higgins waited his turn and then had a breakout season for the history books.
In his first full season starting, the 6-foot-2 linebacker matched Iowa’s all-time single season record with 171 tackles. Those 171 tackles also led the nation.
The fifth year product from Indianapolis could have bolted for the professional ranks, but Higgins instead opted for another full season’s work of starting duty in the black and gold.
Naturally, after his massive 2023 campaign, Higgins is squarely on the national radar heading into the 2024 college football season.
In its annual preview magazine, Lindy’s recognized Higgins’ impact on Iowa and his status as one of the best linebackers in college football. Lindy’s joined Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and Walter Camp in naming Higgins as a preseason first-team All-American.
Higgins joins Clemson‘s Barrett Carter and LSU‘s Harold Perkins Jr. as linebackers on Lindy’s preseason first-team All-American team. Alabama‘s Deontae Lawson, Oklahoma‘s Danny Stutsman and Georgia‘s Mikel Williams comprise Lindy’s preseason second-team All-American team.
In its player ratings, Lindy’s ranks Higgins as its No. 2 inside linebacker behind LSU’s Perkins.
While breaking down Iowa’s primary strengths, here’s what Lindy’s said about the Hawkeyes:
It all starts with the defense, which allowed just 14.8 points per game last season. With so many starters back, including LBs Higgins and (Nick) Jackson, this should be another dominant defense. – Lindy’s.
Lindy’s also had this to say about Iowa’s defense overall:
It looked like there might be only a couple of starters returning to Iowa’s defense in 2024, but six players, including All-America candidate linebacker Jay Higgins, opted to use their COVID year and return. The result is that the Hawkeyes return eight starters on a defense that was among the best in the country last year.
Higgins, who tied the Iowa single-season mark for tackles (171) last year, will again team with Nick Jackson, who (including three years at Virginia) has put together four consecutive seasons of more than 100 tackles. – Lindy’s.
In addition to his 171 tackles, Higgins registered five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two sacks and one interception last season.
Over his Iowa career, Higgins has tallied 217 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five passes defensed, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
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