Finally! A new storyline to talk about!
Throughout this entire snapshot profile series on defense, the talk has been the same. While there are some new, young faces looking to make their marks in 2023, the defensive line brings back many key players from the season prior. Besides a few changes, it is still largely the same unit as last year. There are few questions about how the boys up front will play.
Move back to the next layer of the Iowa defense at linebacker and you will find one of the biggest changes in recent years for the program. Jack Campbell was the model of consistency during his two years as the starter for the Hawkeyes, winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker last year.
A year after having all of the confidence in the world about a known commodity at middle linebacker, now comes the change. Campbell is now a member of the Detroit Lions, going 18th overall in the most recent NFL draft. Up next is senior Jay Higgins, a player who has patiently waited for his chance.
In the new age of college sports, Higgins easily could have left Iowa. After Campbell decided to come back for one last year, the former three-star linebacker out of Indianapolis, Ind., could have easily taken his talents somewhere else and played. He decided not to, opting instead to wait his turn and learning and growing as an understudy.
When he did play last year, the results showed, a team leading 12 total tackles against Northwestern. Now, Higgins isn’t just expected to come in and play. He steps in as the all-important middle linebacker, the centerpiece of the defense.
A lot of faith is being placed on the young linebacker. Can he deliver? Here is a look at new starting middle linebacker Jay Higgins.
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Jay Higgins’ Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 229
Class in 2023: Sr.
Recruiting Ranking
| Stars | Overall | State | Position | |
| 247 | 3 | N/A | 17 | 63 |
| Rivals | 3 | N/A | 11 | N/A |
| ESPN | 3 | N/A | 26 | 52 |
| On3 Recruiting | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 247 Composite | 3 | 1660 | 16 | 69 |
Before Iowa
Robert Scheer/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC
- Named to All-State Top 50 as a junior and senior
- First-team all-state, all-conference, and all-county as a junior and senior
- Earned all-state and all-conference honors 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 |
| 2020 | Iowa | Big Ten | FR | LB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2021 | Iowa | Big Ten | SO | LB | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| *2022 | Iowa | Big Ten | SR | LB | 12 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | Iowa | 26 | 21 | 47 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Depth Chart Overview
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Finally, after years of steady play from Jack Campbell, the Hawkeyes are handing the keys of the defense to Jay Higgins. Higgins has waited patiently for his moment to shine. Now, as a senior, he is officially Iowa’s starting middle linebacker. With his athleticism, it will be interesting to see how Phil Parker plans on using Higgins versus Jack Campbell’s role in the defense.
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