(Iowa City, IA) – Iowa native Cooper DeJean will not be returning to Iowa football next season but rather will be entering the NFL Draft as a projected first-round pick next season. DeJean was named the Defensive Back of the Year and was the Return Specialist of the Year for the Big Ten while also being nominated as a unanimous All-American.
In a post on social media, DeJean stated, “These past three years have been filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Putting on the black and gold and playing in Kinnick Stadium has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and it has been everything I expected and more. I would like to start off by thanking God for being in the position that I am in today. I would also like to thank my family for their support and for making countless trips across the country to watch me play the game I love. I want to thank Coach Ferentz for the special opportunity to play at the University of Iowa, Coach Parker for all he has taught me, and for sharing the passion he has for the game and the rest of the staff who takes so much pride in teaching the game and doing things the right way. Thank you to my teammates for the many memories we have made together on-and-off the field. I am nothing without you guys. I’ve enjoyed being around so many guys who push one another to get better every single day. Thank you Hawkeye nation for your continued support. It has been so much fun to play in front of the best fans in the country and every week. With that being said, I am declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft!”
The Iowa native played just under 400 snaps this season, and in all snaps, the Hawkeyes have given up no touchdowns. He leads Iowa in pass breakups with five, interceptions with two, and currently is seventh for the Hawkeyes in tackles with 41. This Hawkeye defense ranked in the top five nationwide in scoring defense, fourth in pass efficiency defense at 100.1, and sixth in red zone defense. Iowa is also the only team in the country to allow just one rushing touchdown this season.
DeJean finishes off his Hawkeye career with some pretty impressive stats overall. He played in 30 games for Iowa with 120 total tackles, 85 solo, and five tackles for loss. DeJean also had seven interceptions and three total touchdowns. In the punt return game, DeJean had a total of 406 career yards and one touchdown. The junior will look to get healthy in the meantime to prepare for the NFL Draft in Detroit Michigan that runs from April 25th through 27th.