Defense wins championships and punting is winning. Those statements may hold even more true for the Iowa Hawkeyes. One of the best teams in the nation defensively and on special teams, the Hawkeyes rely on these two units to win games.
Leading the way on defense is cornerback Cooper DeJean. On special teams, punter Tory Taylor has morphed himself into the best punter in America that can flip fields.
The duo’s proven ability and success have landed them on yet another preseason team. This time, DeJean and Taylor find themselves named to The Athletic’s preseason All-American team (subscription required). Both are first-team preseason All-Americans.
Cooper and Tory have been tabbed First-Team Preseason All-Americans by @TheAthletic.#Hawkeyes
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 16, 2023
DeJean has become one of the nation’s most anticipated ballhawks as a member of Phil Parker’s defense. After 2022 saw five interceptions, including three turned into house calls, DeJean wants to stamp himself among the best in America.
There may not be another player better at their job in the entire country than Tory Taylor is at punting a football. Tory Taylor, a member of the Ray Guy Award Watch List, doesn’t just have the booming leg, which averaged 45.4 yards per punt and a long of 70 yards, but he also is incredibly accurate. Taylor put 38 of his punts, 46.3% of them, inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
The Hawkeyes are going into 2023 with sky-high expectations and these two shoulder a lot of that weight. Expect both of them to do their parts and constantly be involved in plays that determine outcomes of games.
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