Everything Cooper DeJean, Jay Higgins, Luke Lachey said with Big Ten Network
A trio of Iowa Hawkeyes stars made the trek to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to preview the 2023 college football season.
The preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year pick, cornerback Cooper DeJean, made his way to Indy. The 6-foot-1, 207 pound defensive back was joined by standout tight end Luke Lachey and rising linebacker Jay Higgins.
Of course, DeJean picked off five passes last season and returned three of them for touchdowns. Lachey was Iowa’s second-leading receiver and finished with a team-high four touchdowns. Lastly, Higgins is set to start at linebacker this season and registered 39 tackles a season ago.
As part of their Big Ten media days festivities, the trio swung by the Big Ten Network booth to speak with host Dave Revsine. Here’s everything the three Hawkeye stars had to say.
What needs to be different to return to Indianapolis
COOPER DEJEAN: Yeah, I think just trying to be better than we were last year. We brought some guys in that will help us out with that. Obviously, you talk about Cade (McNamara). Nick Jackson on the defensive side. I think those are two great guys along with the other guys that we brought in and the guys that we still have. You know, I think just focusing on this summer getting better. Bigger, faster, stronger. That’s what we harp on at Iowa and I think a lot of the guys are hungry this season.
JAY HIGGINS: Definitely. We’re just going to start one week at a time. We came off a really good summer program. It starts with the fall program coming up next and we’re trying to get better every rep, trying to get better every practice. The closer we become as a team and we value the importance of the coaching staff and really leverage them, I feel like we’ll be where we want to be.
LUKE LACHEY: Yeah, I mean, I think these guys answered it really well. You know, it’s just coming together as a team. Getting a lot of new guys on offense and the guys coming back, it’s been a great addition and I’m very excited for it.
On returning to his hometown of Indianapolis
JAY HIGGINS: Oh, it’s great to be back. Funny enough, I actually saw my mom, my dad, my sister and my niece. I don’t know how they got in the building, but Cooper and Lachey were both able to see my parents and it just lets you know how blessed I am to be in this situation. I love coming back home and to do it for Big Ten media days is obviously a blessing.
What gives him confidence the offense will be improved
LUKE LACHEY: Yeah, I just think that the changes we’ve made so far going into the spring and now in the summer time. I think that Brian Ferentz has done a great job just helping us get in the right spots and make plays, so that’s the biggest thing. Obviously, you’ve got guys coming back and new guys coming in that are really going to help the team out. So, I think that we’re going to have a good year and I’m really confident for it.
Why the team remained united despite criticism in 2022
COOPER DEJEAN: Yeah, we understand it’s a team game and everybody complements each other and these offensive guys know that we have their back as a defense. As a defense, we’re just going to go out there each and every drive and try and stop the offense and do our job and that’s what we focus on.
JAY HIGGINS: Definitely. Just taking it one snap at a time. Obviously, just want to put the offense in the best situation as possible. We have high standards defensively, so it doesn’t matter if the offense scores 100 points, our standards are still going to maintain the same.
What Cade McNamara brings to the offense
LUKE LACHEY: Yeah, I think he’s brought a lot of confidence. He goes out there, he knows what he’s doing and he’s telling everyone else what to do. I think that’s the main thing. No one guy can go out there and lead a team to a win. It takes all 11 of us and I think that everyone’s really bought in and really ready for the year to start. Cade’s a great player and he’s going to help us out and win.
Cade's leadership from the defensive perspective
JAY HIGGINS: Yeah, just as a linebacker, I admire how he controls himself, how he handles the huddle. Just how he’s able to get his team, his offensive guys able to compete for him. I mean, he did what he could this spring and I felt like he was in a good position where he could try to do what he could but being smart about it.
What has made Iowa's defense special from the offense's perspective
LUKE LACHEY: I think that they just do the little things right. It starts with coach Parker and coach Wallace and all the defensive coaches out there. I think that they just do a really good job of instilling the defense into these guys and then they go out there and do the right thing. It’s a great privilege to be able to practice against them every practice and I’m excited for this fall camp. There’ll be some more battles there.
Why Phil Parker is so good
COOPER DEJEAN: Yeah, I think it starts with what he expects of our defense. He expects perfection from our defense and that’s what we strive for. He’s a very intense guy. Our practices are really intense. We’re hitting every single day, but just being in the meeting room with him, out on the practice field just learning from him, he’s a great coach and it’s an honor to play for him.
What it's like to have perfection asked of you
COOPER DEJEAN: It puts a lot of pressure on you, but that’s what we love. We just try to go out there and play our best each and every week.
The pressure of replacing Jack Campbell, Seth Benson
JAY HIGGINS: I wouldn’t call it pressure. I would just say it’s another opportunity just to let everybody know who I am and what I’m capable of. I just want to use coach Wallace and make sure I’m listening to him and also all the other guys in the linebacker room. I know I’m not out there by myself. I know I’m not the only one on the Iowa defense that’s expecting a lot out of this season, so just using my teammates, making sure I can get the linebacker room to uphold the standard or even raise the bar. We got a lot of new faces in there, we got a lot of guys who are eager to get out there on the field, so excited to take the field with those guys.
Which Iowa linebackers fans should get to know
JAY HIGGINS: I’d say the whole room. Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson, Kyler Fisher, Jaden Harrell, Karson Sharar, (Jaxon) Rexroth. I mean, the list goes on. Just guys who are going to have an impact on the game on defensively and special teams wise.
Being in the spotlight
COOPER DEJEAN: It’s cool I guess, but, I mean, I’m just focused on what I can do this season to help this team win football games. I’ve been focusing a lot this offseason on just trying to be a better football player all around. I think Riley Moss as you mentioned has helped out a lot with that. Just all the things I’ve learned from him and coach Parker as well. Just all the things I’ve learned and trying to bring these younger guys in our DB room along as well.
Following in the lineage of great tight ends
LUKE LACHEY: Yeah, it’s a really cool opportunity. Like Jay said, you just want to go out there and help the team win and just be the best player that you can be. I feel like the rest will take care of itself. All those guys that have come before are all great players, all did a lot of great things at Iowa and have done a lot of great things in the NFL as well. It’s really cool to be able to say you put on the same helmet as these guys did, and it’s just really an honor to even be at the same school as they were.
On Odebolt, growing up a Hawkeye fan
COOPER DEJEAN: There’s not much there, but I love it. About 900 people, so you kind of create your own fun as a small town kid in Iowa growing up just running around. It’s surrounded by cornfields, so you can create your own fun in that aspect. I really appreciate all the support I get from the people back home. Not only in Odebolt, but the four communities that my high school is made up of. So, that means a lot to me.
It’s a dream come true. As soon as I got the Iowa offer, I knew this is where I wanted to be. Growing up an Iowa fan, being in Kinnick Stadium, watching those guys that came before me play, so it really is a dream come true and it’s been a lot of fun.
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