Iowa
Jay Higgins NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Iowa LB
Keith Gillett/IconSportswire
— Good size for a modern NFL linebacker.
— Has solid instincts as a run defender against traditional handoffs (non-option plays) to put himself in a position to take on blocks and beat offensive linemen to the spot.
— Physical and not afraid to come downhill and hit people, likes contact.
— Enough strength to be solid at holding ground against offensive linemen.
— Good pad level and wraps up when tackling, he had few misses in college.
— Impressive awareness and eye discipline in zone coverage to locate threats and help teammates.
— Good speed and acceleration to click and close in coverage.
— Hustle player who factors into gang tackles down the field, constantly rallying to the ball.
— Lateral movement skills and change of direction are sub-par, leading to issues in man coverage and impacting his ability to make offensive linemen miss in the running game.
— Hips are a little stiff, making it difficult to flip his hips and take away crossing routes.
— Appears to have shorter arms, making it difficult to stack and shed against the run.
— Struggles to locate the ball against read options, often guessing and getting caught out of position.
— Occasionally doesn’t bring his feet with him when tackling.
— A 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports
— 2024: First-Team All-American; Big 10 Linebacker of the Year; First-Team Big 10
— 2023: First-Team All-American; First-Team All-Big 10; Tied school record for most tackles (171)
Jay Higgins is a well-decorated and highly productive linebacker. He is a two-time All-American and has racked up nearly 300 tackles over the last two seasons combined. The biggest reason he’s been able to put up those numbers is his relentless motor and good instincts, which allow him to be in the right spot more often than not.
As a run defender, Higgins is quick to key and diagnose gap and zone runs to beat offensive linemen to the spot and create opportunities to get unblocked tackles. This can cause him issues against read options, as he’ll get over-aggressive and be out of position, but that shouldn’t be as big of a problem in the NFL, where traditional handoffs are more common.
The biggest question mark about the Hawyeke’s ability to play the run is how well he can stack and shed. He has solid strength and takes on blocks with his hands, but he has shorter arms, limiting how much extension he can get. That could cause him to get swallowed up by offensive linemen at the next level so he’ll need to develop a move to escape.
In coverage, Higgins is best when playing zone. He has the eye discipline to locate threats and isn’t a robot in coverage, recognizing opportunities where he can help teammates instead of covering grass. Also, he stays deep in his area to play it back to front and bait throws while also showing good linear speed to click and close.
However, Higgins’ lateral movement skills are sub-par which causes him issues in man coverage against running backs and tight ends. With that, he’d be best as an inside linebacker in a zone-heavy scheme.
GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)
PRO COMPARISON: Micah McFadden
Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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