Iowa football prides itself on its ability to find and develop players.
Over the years under head coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes’ development track record has spoken for itself. Iowa and Ferentz have seen 89 NFL draft selections over the duration of his tenure.
That includes 13 first-round selections and 12 second-round NFL draft picks.
But, it’s deeper than that. It’s the tradition of players donning the black and gold and developing over their time in the program into legitimate Big Ten and national stars.
Add two names to that list. 247Sports released its “All-Homegrown Team” and two Hawkeyes made the cut.
Senior center Logan Jones and fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins were recognized by 247Sports. The list is designed to celebrate players that didn’t transfer and instead truly bought into the path of development.
It shines a light on players and programs that value development.
Jones, a 6-foot-3, 293 pound center, began his career on the defensive line before making the switch to the offensive side of the ball. The Council Bluffs product has now started 36 games over the past three seasons.
Iowa develops homegrown offensive linemen, especially centers, better than anyone in the country, and Jones is having a great season for the Hawkeyes. Jones shows excellent quickness and tenacity as a finisher, along with the strength to move defenders off the ball. Jones is excellent in pass protection and can reach a 2i in the Iowa zone run game. Former defensive lineman who will have a chance at the next level. – Blake Brockermeyer, 247Sports.
Higgins bided his time at Iowa and learned from Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell. Higgins’ patience paid off as the 6-foot-2, 232 pound linebacker tied the single-season school record with 171 tackles last season.
Now, Higgins has tallied 98 tackles, seven passes defensed, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack during the 2024 campaign.
Higgins has been consistently excellent his entire career for the Hawkeyes’ stingy defense, and this year is more of the same. He is racking up double-digit tackles once again this season, averaging almost 10 tackles a game with 98 for the season. He has two forced fumbles and a career-high three interceptions. A must-watch player with his consistency and attention to detail, Higgins is one of the best linebackers in modern Iowa football. – Brockermeyer, 247Sports.
It’s nice to see Jones and Higgins’ contributions, their patience and their loyalty rewarded by 247Sports.
For a program that prides itself on development, both Jones and Higgins are the gold standard of what that looks like for the Hawkeyes.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.
Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF