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The Iowa Hawkeyes are well known for the brand of defense they play and house in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes are physical, fundamentally sound and tend to surrender very little to opponents. In 2023, Iowa was among the tops nationally in a number of key defensive categories.
Iowa ranked fourth in scoring defense (14.8 points per game), fourth in passing efficiency defense (102.13), fifth in passing yards allowed (170.7 yards per game) and seventh in total defense (282.5 yards per game).
The Hawkeyes also ranked 15th in rushing defense (111.8 rushing yards per game), 15th in third down conversion percentage defense (.313) and 16th in red zone defense (.758). Iowa did all of that despite ranking just 97th nationally in turnovers gained.
Obviously, teams don’t accomplish all of that just based on scheme and coaching alone. Iowa has the star power to make it all work.
Fortunately for the Hawkeyes, all of that star power save for cornerback Cooper DeJean opted to return to Iowa for the 2024 season. Iowa’s defense boasts a collective 192 career starts.
247Sports recognized a pair of Iowa’s stars in its list of the top 20 defensive players in college football headed into the 2024 season. Fifth-year Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins and graduate CASH Sebastian Castro were each honored by 247Sports as top 20 defensive players.
Higgins is the No. 12 defensive player nationally per 247Sports’ Grant Hughes.
Iowa found a diamond in the rough in Higgins, a former three-star recruit who rated as the No. 63 inside linebacker in the class of 2020. He led all FBS defenders in 2023 with 985 snaps and ended the year with 171 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He was also active in coverage, notching five pass breakups and an interception. – Hughes, 247Sports.
Castro is ranked even higher. The 5-foot-11, 205 pound defensive back is…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jay-higgins-sebastian-castro-among-234513624.html
Author : Hawkeyes Wire
Publish date : 2024-08-17 23:45:13
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