Tag: Cooper DeJean

Cooper DeJean headlining ‘way-too-early’ 2024 NFL draft boards

With the potential to be one of Iowa’s best ever, Cooper Dejean is already a key staple in the first round of many 2024 NFL draft boards.

The Hawkeyes saw Lukas Van Ness and Jack Campbell go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft along with Riley Moss soon after. What if I told you they may have the best yet to come for the NFL?

When it is all said and done, there is more than a clear path for Cooper DeJean to be one of the best Iowa Hawkeyes to don the black and gold. Lofty expectations? Sure. Is the talent and potential there to do it? More than enough.

The 2022 season saw DeJean explode onto the scene, not just for Iowa, but nationally with five interceptions (three of which he returned for touchdowns) as a member of one of the nation’s best defensive units. He is running it back in 2023 as the leader of the Hawkeyes’ secondary and looking to expand on his already impressive play.

He oozes talent and athleticism. It has NFL teams already swooning over drafting him in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Not only can DeJean play corner and slide back to safety, but he has punt-returning ability and is a menace on punt coverage which is even more important to NFL teams with limited roster sizes.

While there is the reality that he likely only has one more season as a Hawkeye, the silver lining is going to be witnessing his play week in and week out. Here are some early projections for Cooper DeJean from around the sports world in regard to his status on 2024 NFL draft boards.

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Texans take Iowa CB Cooper DeJean in Touchdown Wire way too early 2024 mock draft

The Houston Texans take Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean in the Touchdown Wire’s way too early 2024 NFL mock draft.

Now that the 2023 NFL draft is over, it is time for the 2024 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans won’t have twin first-round picks next year as the Arizona Cardinals possess Houston’s proprietary selections thanks to the Will Anderson trade. As long as Anderson is elevating his game in the pros, Texans fans won’t mind too much about not having that extra first-rounder.

According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, who released his way too early mock draft for 2024, the Cleveland Browns manage to have a decent year, which means the Texans aren’t picking until No. 19 overall. Houston uses that selection to take Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean.

Taking DeJean would give the Texans a pair of first-round cornerbacks as Derek Stingley would be embarking upon his third season. If Stingley was continuing to struggle with injuries, Cooper could easily transition to being the defense’s dominant cornerback and Houston wouldn’t have to pick up Stingley’s fifth-year option.

If Stingley were starting to blossom and live up to his potential, then adding DeJean would be a significant upgrade if they allowed Steven Nelson to walk in free agency. Along with safety Jalen Pitre, who would also be entering his third season, the Texans would have their own version of a no-fly zone with the addition of DeJean.

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Jaguars projected to target CBs in way-too-early 2024 mock drafts

The Jaguars didn’t take a cornerback early in the 2023 NFL draft. So how about next year?

Most expected cornerback to be a top priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2023 NFL draft. Not only did the Jaguars not address the position in the first round, they didn’t pick a cornerback until taking Christian Braswell at No. 202 overall.

So it’s not surprising that experts think that need will still be a pressing one in 2024.

For now, the Jaguars have Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams both under contract until the 2025 offseason. But the depth behind that duo is just a few underwhelming veterans with some late-round picks from the 2022 and 2023 drafts.

Even with a free agent acquisition or a breakout year from a young player already on the roster, cornerback stands to be a big need again next year.

In way-too-early 2024 mock drafts published this weekend, many experts think that’ll be the position the Jaguars target when they’re on the clock in the first round next year:

5 most important Iowa Hawkeyes for 2023 success

Iowa enters 2023 with question marks and some voids, but also returning talent. Who are the five more important Hawkeyes for 2023 success?

The 2023 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes feels a little bit like all of the chips have been pushed to the middle of the table and this season is all-in. With the additions via the transfer portal and the dire need to improve offensively, there is pressure. The defense has pressure as well. There are key starters gone and large voids to fill.

Looking ahead to next season, there are a handful of areas that either need improvement or things could go very sideways. There are also areas that are reloading and will be shouldering a huge amount of pressure to drive this team to success.

As we near the beginning of spring practice and will start getting a look at some new and returning Hawkeyes, there are already a handful that are success factors. Here is a look at who the five most important Iowa Hawkeyes are for success during the 2023 season.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Cooper DeJean named the Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week

Cooper DeJean’s all around performance for the Iowa Hawkeyes caught the attention of the granddaddy of them all with Rose Bowl recognition.

There was no shortage of Cooper DeJean dominating on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers as the Iowa Hawkeyes took home the Heartland Trophy in a 24-10 win. His performance garnered attention from one big, tradition-rich game.

The Rose Bowl announced that Cooper DeJean was their selection as the Week 11 Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week.

DeJean’s performance was an all-around boost for the Hawkeyes. His pick-six to get the Hawkeyes on the board, his field position changing punt returns, and his play as a gunner helping down the ball at the one-yard line pinning the Badgers deep all contributed to this recognition.

“Yeah, there’s probably not a position on the perimeter he couldn’t play. You’d have to change your offense if he was your quarterback. But I’m pretty sure he could be a pretty good running back, I know he could be a really good receiver, and you think about the four positions on defense in the back end plus the nickelback, the slot guy, so there’s five right there,” head coach Kirk Ferentz elaborated on DeJean’s broad skillset when asked about his big game.

His play was truly special on Saturday and it is up for discussion that his performance was what won the game for Iowa.

“He’s a special kid and special player, too. You obviously see it out there, he is going to continue to do great things,” linebacker Jack Campbell told media when asked about his fellow defender’s game.

Cooper DeJean’s big day sparks social media, Iowa Hawkeyes’ huge 24-10 win over Wisconsin

Report card: Grading the Iowa Hawkeyes’ big home win over Wisconsin

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Iowa Stock Index: Hawkeyes’ stock report after win over Wisconsin

Iowa got the job done in a 24-10 win over Wisconsin. Whose stock is rising, whose stock is falling after the win over the Badgers?

The Iowa Hawkeyes essentially have the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West. A sentence more or less unfathomable just a month ago is a very real situation and a reality that is fully upon us.

At 6-4, following a rivalry victory over the Wisconsin Badgers for the Heartland Trophy, the Hawkeyes are tied for first place in the Big Ten West. If they win out against Minnesota and Nebraska, paired with Michigan taking care of Illinois next weekend, the Hawkeyes are returning to Indianapolis.

The three-game win streak they are riding right now has seen efforts from all three units at different times and has Iowa not only tied for first in the Big Ten West, but officially bowl eligible as well.

Quite a few Hawkeyes have had their hands in the mix helping create this winning streak, but there are a few that are seeing their stock rising as we continue down the final stretch of the season.

One honorable mention is whoever played “Jump Around” in Kinnick following the game to really let Wisconsin know who won the rivalry.

Cooper DeJean’s big day sparks social media, Iowa Hawkeyes’ huge 24-10 win over Wisconsin

Social media reacted to Cooper DeJean’s electrifying day as Iowa won its third straight with a huge 24-10 win over Wisconsin.

Iowa isn’t quite in control of its own destiny in the Big Ten West, but with an Illinois trip to No. 3 Michigan looming next week, it sort of feels that way. Thank you very much, Purdue Spoilermakers.

On a day where Purdue handed Illinois its second straight loss, the Hawkeyes took advantage and took care of business at home, topping Wisconsin, 24-10, thanks to more terrific defense and special teams.

After the Badgers turned an early Spencer Petras strip-sack fumble into a 32-yard field goal, Iowa went to work. It started early in the second quarter when the Hawkeyes forced the Badgers’ third punt of the day and Deontae Craig got through to block it, setting Iowa up at the Wisconsin 17-yard line.

Offense was tough to come by for much of the day, but Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras followed that blocked punt with a 13-yard completion to tight end Sam LaPorta. Kaleb Johnson then ran it in from four yards out and the Hawkeyes had their first lead of the day.

Then, after the two teams traded a pair of punts, Cooper DeJean jumped a Graham Mertz pass and ran it back for a 32-yard pick-six score. He wasn’t done, though.

In the second half, after Iowa had backed Wisconsin up with a Tory Taylor punt that was downed at the Badgers’ 1-yard line, the Hawkeyes forced another punt and Cooper DeJean returned it 41 yards to the Wisconsin 18-yard line.

Kaleb Johnson ran for four yards, Petras found LaPorta for nine yards to set up first and goal from the 5-yard line and then Petras eventually snuck it in from one yard out for what was ultimately the score that put it out of reach.

It’s another happy Saturday in Hawkeye land, and Iowa fans definitely had fun with the win. Here were some of the best social media reactions from the victory that has the Hawks seemingly two wins away from a return trip to Indianapolis.

Several Iowa Hawkeyes freshmen already starting to make an impact

Running back Kaleb Johnson and kicker Drew Stevens are the two prominent names, but there’s several other freshmen making impacts for Iowa.

If there are any bright spots on this middling 3-3 Iowa football team (we certainly need some good with Ohio State coming up this week), it is the youth carving out roles already.

We already know the impact sophomore Cooper DeJean has made in the secondary this year, looking like the next star Hawkeye defensive back. Multiple freshmen, though, have started to gain significant playing time early in the season.

According to Sean Bock of 247Sports’ Hawkeye Insider, his midseason Iowa redshirt tracker shows that six true freshmen have received game time this season.

Running back Kaleb Johnson, kicker Drew Stevens, and defensive backs Xavier Nwankpa and TJ Hall have all played in Iowa’s six contests thus far. Defensive tackle Aaron Graves has appeared in five games, tight end Addison Ostrenga in four and running back Jaziun Patterson has one lone appearance this season.

Johnson already has 50 carries for 232 yards with three rushing touchdowns. He finished with seven carries for 103 yards and a pair of scores from 40 and 55 yards out against Nevada. Then, versus Michigan, Johnson scored Iowa’s first points on a 2-yard touchdown run.

Kaleb Johnson has shown flashes of success as perhaps the Hawkeyes’ starting running back of the future, however, the struggles of the offensive line this season have really hampered any consistent impact he’s been able to have. Aaron Graves currently has seven tackles and Patterson has six carries for 20 yards.

Kicker Drew Stevens has probably seen the most success of the Iowa youngsters, staking his claim as the starting kicker. Stevens is 6-of-7 on field goal attempts this season, his first miss a 45-yarder coming in Iowa’s most recent 9-6 loss against Illinois. Despite the miss, special teams coordinator Levar Woods had a lot of positive things to say about the freshman kicker.

“As far as that goes, field goal units, I think Drew is coming along as a player,” Woods said. “He is definitely young. He has had — every game is really like a new experience for him in some way because he was a high school kid a year ago. Really less than a year ago. I think he has made a huge transition since spring. We’ve all kind of seen that. He missed a kick, his last kick, against Illinois, which I know is just eating at him, but to me that shows the guy is a competitor. He may be young. He may be inexperienced, but he is a competitor, and he has that drive inside.”

Both Nwankpa and Hall have received significant playing time on special teams so far this season. While many are anxious to see the five-star Nwankpa get on the field for Phil Parker’s defense, I’d like to remind them of Cooper DeJean’s career arc at Iowa thus far. A lot of his contributions his freshman year came on special teams, and we see how well he’s done in his second year.

It may not be the most glamorous on the stat sheet, but special teams is a great way for both Nwankpa and Hall to get their feet wet, to adjust to the speed of Division 1 ball. Their time will come.

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‘I’m really pleased’: Cooper DeJean showcasing versatility, impressing Iowa DC Phil Parker

Just a sophomore, defensive back Cooper DeJean is already impressing defensive coordinator Phil Parker and thrilling Hawkeye fans.

It hasn’t taken long for sophomore defensive back Cooper DeJean to wow Iowa Hawkeyes fans. Halfway through his first season starting, the 6-foot-1, 209 pound Odebolt, Iowa, native has registered 37 tackles, eight passes defensed and he’s come away with three of the Hawkeyes’ six interceptions.

In addition to just the production that everyone sees, DeJean offers defensive coordinator Phil Parker positional versatility.

“We had him at corner, and I think what you really mean was he ended up in corner at the end of the Kentucky game. He can play. When we first recruited him, we recruited him as a defensive back and didn’t know exactly where he would fit in.

“He has the ability of playing actually corner, CASH, I think strong safety, can play free safety. I think he can play multiple positions back there. For a guy to be a sophomore and do the things that he can do and understand what he needs to do I think is really good,” Parker said.

It sounds like DeJean has the knack for plays that turn heads in practice.

“Just looking at him and saying how can he do all this stuff? He has great balance. He has great football awareness. He sees things, and he is always on his feet and has always, what I say, play with good leverage. I’m really pleased the way he goes.

“He has great ball skills. Some catches that he makes during practice that are what I call freakish. You know what I mean? One-handers behind and all this stuff. You say I’m sure he can play multiple positions, but he is definitely mature enough, hard worker. Always in the film room or always working,” Parker said.

Maybe it’s cliché, but it’s in practice where Parker first knew that DeJean could end up as one of the Hawkeyes’ next talented defensive backs. The beautiful thing for Iowa fans is he’s still just getting started and should continue to improve as he goes forward.

“I guess when you go out there and you are with these guys every day, you kind of get used to what you are seeing. My expectations of him become higher every time he goes out there. Obviously, he started real fast and started going to it, and I think he is still improving. I think he has a little bit more to give even. That’s the way you look at it.

“If you look at it, everybody wants to be perfect. Even if he makes a play, you want to be perfect, right? And nobody is perfect. Everybody will say you can’t be perfect. But you can try to be perfect. If you get to try to be perfect, you can be excellent, right, instead of just going around and being average,” Parker said.

Right now, Pro Football Focus grades DeJean as one of the nation’s top cornerbacks. DeJean currently has a coverage grade of 84.5 on the season and an overall defensive grade of 81.7. In the midst of a fantastic start to his career, it’s exciting to think about what DeJean can continue to develop into.

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College Football Network recognizes two Hawkeyes as midseason All-Americans

College Football Network released their midseason All-American teams and the Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves with two players among the group.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have done two things extremely well this season. Their defense and their special teams unit have been two bright spots amidst somewhat of a rollercoaster season up to this point.

While there is room to improve and room to grow, there are a couple of Hawkeyes performing at very high levels that have earned them some national recognition.

In College Football Network’s midseason All-American report, two Hawkeyes’ names made the cut. The Iowa Hawkeyes special teams unit is led by punter Tory Taylor. He was named to the midseason first team All-Americans team.

Joining Taylor on the list is defensive back, Cooper DeJean. Playing defensive back, there is much stiffer competition, yet DeJean still finds himself on the midseason All-Americans honorable mentions list.

Tory Taylor has single-handedly won games for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season, pinning opponents back inside the 20-yard line on 21 of his 52 kicks. Taylor averages nearly 46 yards per punt and hasn’t allowed more than 40 return yards on his kicks.  – Mellor, CFN

DeJean 37 tackles (third on the team), five pass breakups, and three interceptions (both tops on the Hawkeyes) through their first six games of the season. In just his second season with Iowa, DeJean has plenty of room to grow but has already shown the fanbase that he has all the potential to blossom into the next great defensive back in black and gold.

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