After waiting his turn to take over as a full-time starter, Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins blossomed into a star last season with the Hawkeyes.
Now, the Indianapolis native is reaping the rewards of his record-setting 2023 college football season.
Higgins was announced as Phil Steele’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 233 pound linebacker was also tabbed as a preseason first-team All-American by Phil Steele.
Higgins tied a single-season school record in 2023 with 171 total tackles, including five tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. The Brebeuf Jesuit Prep product finished with double-figure tackles in 10 of 14 games for the Hawkeyes last season.
Higgins also added five pass breakups, one forced fumble and one interception in 2023. Over the course of his Iowa career, Higgins has registered 217 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
Following his breakout 2023 campaign, Higgins was honored as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele and Sports Illustrated. He earned second-team All-American accolades from the American Football Coaches Association, CBS, Walter Camp, Associated Press and Sporting News.
University of Iowa fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins has been named Phil Steele’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) June 11, 2024
Higgins will anchor a Hawkeye defense that returns a wealth of experience. Nine defensive starters return for Iowa.
That group features Higgins and Nick Jackson at linebacker, defensive linemen Deontae Craig and Yahya Black and defensive backs Sebastian Castro, Jermari Harris, Deshaun Lee, Xavier Nwnakpa and Quinn Schulte.
Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker spoke in the spring about why Higgins and some of his other defensive stars elected to come back.
“Well, it’s always kind of hard when you’re going through that transition of like, hey,…
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