As discussed when looking at Cooper DeJean being a top returning corner in the country, the less a member of the secondary is talked about can often bode for the best. No news is often good news as it means the secondary isn’t giving up big plays, blowing coverage, or missing tackles.
One unsung hero of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ defense that quietly flies under the radar is safety Quinn Schulte. Having spent last year playing alongside Riley Moss, Kaevon Merriweather, and Cooper DeJean, Schulte was part of one of the best secondaries in the country.
His performance last year didn’t go unnoticed by Pro Football Focus, though. Schulte is among the top five highest-graded returning Big Ten safeties.
Highest graded returning Big Ten Safeties🔥 pic.twitter.com/LDBsrq0UhW
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 30, 2023
Schulte posted 71 tackles last year to go along with one interception and six pass deflections. His 71 tackles were fourth on the Hawkeyes. Schulte, the senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa is currently pegged as a Preseason second-team All-Big Ten safety by Phil Steele.
The 2023 season is going to see Schulte alongside sophomore Xavier Nwankpa in a tandem that has every chance to thrust itself into the conversation for the best safety duo in the Big Ten conference.
The other top returning safeties include Rod Moore and Makari Paige, a duo that belongs to the Michigan Wolverines. Tyler Nubin from the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Lathan Ransom of the Ohio State Buckeyes round out the top five highest-graded returning safeties in the Big Ten.
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