AMES, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa State had 16 interceptions in 2023, good for second in the Big 12, and tied for 10th in the country.

Junior Jeremiah Cooper accounted for five of them. He says forcing turnovers isn’t all about what the team does on the field.

Much of it comes before the first snap.

“Everything is pretty much mental, so if you know what you’re doing, and you know what everybody else is doing you can play faster and put yourself in the right spot,” said Cooper. “But then, that comes with just learning, studying, 24/7, we gotta get in that film room.

“That’s what makes us play freely.”

The Cyclone defense has room for improvement when it comes to getting after the quarterback. They ranked outside of the top 100 in the country with 21 sacks last year.

The defensive back room is taking responsibility, saying if they improve even more, it helps out the defensive line.

“Defense is all complimentary, so if we’re not doing our jobs in the back end there’s no way they can get sacks,” said senior defensive back Myles Purchase. “I would say we could take that as a challenge as a secondary.”

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The preseason is for the fans and media. We talk about what’s going to happen in college football this fall, while the student-athletes sweat through the August heat preparing for it.

That’s the setup. We have our marching orders before the 2024 campaign kicks off later this month. That means previews and predictions from yours truly.

Check out the site for previous installments and check back for more with media and kids days coming next week. Here’s a staple of the football preview rubber chicken circuit – Preseason Awards.

Defensive Player of the Year

Jay Higgins, SR, LB

Who else, right? Actually, Jay would be the first to tell you he couldn’t do what he does without the tremendous talent around him. In Iowa’s scheme, the middle linebacker racks up tackles when things are going well.That starts with the line keeping him clean.

Rank the guys during the last quarter century however you like. Fred Barr, Abdul Hodge, Pat Angerer, Josey Jewell and Jack Campbell are all memorable. Higgins is in that conversation now.

He’s considered one of the country’s best defenders heading into 2024 after 171-tackle season. A similar tackle total can be expected.

More importantly, as a second-year starter, Higgins will play faster and with a greater knowledge of the defense can better help guys around him.

Offensive Player of the Year

Luke Lachey, SR, TE

Picking middle linebacker and tight end for these awards at Iowa isn’t exactly going out on a limb. Be that as it may, like Higgins, Lachey could be the best player at his position in the Big Ten and beyond.

While Higgins’ case can be made through last year’s production, we’re projecting with Lachey. He’s returning from a season-ending knee injury that cost him all but nine quarters of football, during which he already had caught 10 passes for 131 yards.

The Ohio native showed breakout potential at the end of ‘22, too. He was honorable mention All-Big Ten after catching 28 passes for 398 yards and four touchdowns. He was the No. 2 tight end behind Sam LaPorta, who finished third in the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of The Year voting in ‘23.

Iowa is TE U. Lachey is the next one. And, like Higgins, he has an opportunity to strengthen his place in pantheon of great performers at his position.

Redshirt Freshman of The Year

John Nestor, CB, Chicago 

Nestor delivered in a special teams’ role last season and took another step forward in the spring. That growth led to him entering training camp as a starting cornerback. 

Deshaun Lee and TJ Hall certainly aren’t conceding anything in their pursuit of the spot vacated by Cooper DeJean, now with the Philadelphia Eagles. They have more game experience than Nestor at the position. 

They also have to overtake him this month and keep pushing if they don’t. No matter what happens, Nestor will play. And he’ll probably blow up some folks on special teams as well. 

Iowa returns a lot of starters, reducing candidates for this category. But Nestor is a good one as is the guy in the next category. 

True Freshman of The Year

Rhys Dakin, P, Australia

Dakin takes over for countryman Tory Taylor, who is a Chicago Bears rookie after becoming a Hawkeye folk hero. Yeah, that’s a tough act to follow. 

Thing is, Dakin doesn’t need to be Taylor. He just needs to be a consistently efficient punter. Be a contributor to, dare I say, successful complementary football. 

The unknown is how he’ll perform in a game in front of large crowds. You can’t practice that. But he’s been vetted by the staff and sure looks the part. 

Most Pivotal Player

Cade McNamara, SR, QB

Yeah, I’m just making up awards now. This is an important one, though, one with a clear and obvious choice. 

McNamara entered camp saying he felt better now than he had since the fall of 2022 at Michigan. If the Hawkeyes can keep him healthy, there’s chance for this offense to click. He seems like a great fit for new coordinator Tim Lester’s system. 

The Hawkeyes are better prepared than this time last year should McNamara suffer another unfortunate injury. Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan has led a team to victory in the Big Ten, and redshirt freshman Marco Lainez got his feet wet in the bowl game. 

The backups haven’t led a team to the College Football Playoff like McNamara, however. The former Wolverine gives Iowa its best opportunity to make the new 12-team CFP this season. 

Best Position Group

Running Back

During some years, this category would be easier to pick. That it’s not is a good thing for Iowa. Tight end and linebacker are top-notch, while the lines and secondary could be pretty good. 

Running back has three guys that have produced in meaningful games in Leshon Williams, Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson. Redshirt freshman Kamari Moulton is listed with Williams and Johnson on the preseason two-deep. 

Having four capable running backs with experience is a luxury in portal era. Hopefully Lester can find ways to get them all involved. 

Top NFL Prospect

Luke Lachey, SR, TE

We talked about Lachey above. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the running for the Mackey Award. 

Top NFL Prospect Part II

Sebastian Castro, SR, S

The Chicago-area thumper is an impressive combination of skills that play well at Cash and strong safety. He’s talented enough to follow in the footsteps of previous players at the position, Amani Hooker and Dane Belton, recent NFL Draft picks still in the league. 

Castro is stronger against the run than those guys at this stage and is gaining ground in matching their coverage ability. He holds his own in that area already.