With all of these profiles, it feels like we’ve been talking a lot about potential. Now, let’s talk about a bonafide star.
Cooper DeJean was a player who many were excited about heading into last season. With his natural athleticism, DeJean popped on special teams snaps the year prior. Winning a starting spot at the CASH position, one of great importance to the Iowa defense, many thought he could make some noise in 2022.
How’s first-team All-Big Ten for noise?
From the first game against South Dakota State, Cooper DeJean was locked in and ready to make a difference for Iowa. Whether as a playmaker on the defense or as the best gunner you’ll find on special teams, No. 3 was everywhere to be found on the field.
As a result of injuries, we saw DeJean move to outside cornerback by the end of last year. It was a role he excelled in, with some of his best overall play coming at the end of last season. DeJean produced five interceptions last year to go along with 75 tackles. Oh yeah, he also returned three of those interceptions for touchdowns.
Now, with Riley Moss off to the NFL, it is DeJean’s turn to be the number one corner in Phil Parker’s defense. Given what we’ve already seen from him, expect great things in 2023. Here’s a look at Iowa’s newest star defensive back Cooper DeJean.
Cooper DeJean’s Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Odebolt, Iowa
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 207
Class in 2023: Jr
Recruiting
| Stars | Overall | State | Position | |
| 247 | 4 | 149 | 3 | 8 |
| Rivals | 3 | N/A | 7 | 16 |
| ESPN | 3 | N/A | 15 | 88 |
| On3 Recruiting | 4 | 157 | 3 | 8 |
| 247 Composite | 4 | 359 | 6 | 26 |
Before Iowa
- Named to Des Moines Register Elite All-State team as a senior
- Earned first-team all-state and all-district honors as a senior
- First-team all-state and all-district as a junior, earning district MVP honors
- First-team all-state and all-district as a sophomore
Career Stats
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2021 | Iowa | Big Ten | FR | DB | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2022 | Iowa | Big Ten | JR | DB | 13 | 59 | 16 | 75 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 91 | 18.2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | Iowa | 62 | 17 | 79 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 91 | 18.2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Depth Chart Overview
With the departure of recent third-round pick Riley Moss, Cooper DeJean is now the CB1 on top of the depth chart. Starting at the Cash position last year, injuries forced DeJean to cornerback where he excelled for the Hawkeyes. Now, Phil Parker will ask DeJean to be his lockdown cornerback.
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