 Higgins with Iowa in 2023 | |
| Iowa Hawkeyes–No. 34 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 14, 2002 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 233 lb (106 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Iowa (2020–present) |
| High school | Brebeuf Jesuit Prep (Indianapolis) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Jay Higgins (born February 14, 2002) is an American football linebacker for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Higgins was born on February 14, 2002, in Indianapolis, Indiana, later attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. Higgins committed to play college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. [1] [2]
In Higgins first season in 2020 he notched just two tackles. [3] In 2021, Higgins totaled five tackles and a fumble recovery. [4] In week nine of the 2022 season, Higgins recorded a career-high 11 tackles versus Northwestern. [5] Higgins finished the 2022 season with 39 tackles with one and half going for a loss, and half a sack. [6] Higgins opened the 2023 season strong, during week one against Utah State he tallied 16 tackles. [7] In week four, Higgins notched a new career-high 18 tackles versus Penn State. [8] Higgins was named one of the 12 semi-finalists for the 2023 Butkus Award. [9] [10] He was also named first team all Big-Ten by both the coaches and the media. [11]
Iowa Hawkeyes | |||||||||
| Season | Tackles | Sacks | Fumbles | INT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Total | TFL | Total | FF | FR | INT | PD | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 20 | 19 | 39 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 79 | 92 | 171 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 49 | 69 | 118 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Totals | 153 | 182 | 335 | 9.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
Kirk James Ferentz is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the University of Maine. He was also an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Ferentz played college football as a linebacker at the University of Connecticut from 1974 to 1976. Since 2017, he has been the longest tenured FBS coach with one program. Ferentz is the all-time wins leader at Iowa.
Abdul Hodge is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the tight ends coach at Iowa, where he played as a 3-time all Big-Ten linebacker. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2006 NFL draft.
Patrick Aaron Angerer is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.
Josey Jewell is an American professional football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was a unanimous All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten selection. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 2018 NFL draft.
Ben Niemann is an American professional football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Iowa.
Tristan Wirfs is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was selected in the first round by Tampa Bay in the 2020 NFL draft. He has been selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls.
Riley Moss is an American professional football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. Moss was selected by the Broncos in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Jack Campbell is an American professional football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was a unanimous All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes, winning the Butkus Award in 2022. Campbell was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, and named to the All-Rookie Team.
The 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa as member of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by 24th-year head coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes played home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Cooper DeJean is an American professional football cornerback and punt returner for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, receiving unanimous All-American honors in 2023. DeJean was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Julius "JuJu" Brents is an American professional football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and Kansas State.
Sebastian Castro is an American college football defensive back for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Aaron Casey is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Indiana and was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Nick Jackson is an American football linebacker for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He previously played for the Virginia Cavaliers.
Joe Evans is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Logan Lee is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Aaron Graves is an American college football defensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Yahya Black is an American college football defensive tackle for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Carson Schwesinger is an American college football linebacker for the UCLA Bruins.
Jestin Jacobs is an American football linebacker for the Oregon Ducks. He previously played for the Iowa Hawkeyes.