10 Hawkeyes Earn Preseason Honors from Phil Steele

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Ten University of Iowa football student-athletes garnered preseason honors from Phil Steele, it was announced Monday.

Senior punter Tory Taylor was named as a Phil Steele first-team All-American, while junior Cooper DeJean was tabbed as a second-team All-America defensive back.

Sophomore kicker Drew Stevens joined Taylor and DeJean as a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection. Junior tight end Luke Lachey, junior defensive end Deontae Craig and senior defensive tackle Logan Lee were second-team honorees, senior defensive end Joe Evans and sophomore kick returner Kaleb Johnson were third team selections and junior offensive tackle Mason Richman and senior safety Quinn Schulte were selected to the fourth team.

Taylor (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) was also named a preseason first-team All-American by Athlon Sports in May. The Australia native garnered first-team All-America honors by FWW, Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus and was a second-team selection by the Associated Press in 2022. He averaged 45.4 yards on 82 punts a season ago.

DeJean (6-1, 209) garnered his second preseason All-America honor, as he was named a second-team All-American by Athlon Sports. The Odebolt, Iowa, native was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and second team by the coaches in 2022 after finishing with 75 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups. He returned three of his interceptions for touchdowns.

Stevens (6-0, 180) received his second preseason first-team All-Big Ten honor as he was also recognized by Athlon Sports. The Augusta, South Carolina, native set a freshman program record with 16 field goals in 2022 en route to freshman All-America honors. He made 16-of-18 field goal attempts, including 6-for-8 from 40+.

Lachey (6-6, 252) garnered preseason second team All-Big Ten honors after ranking third on the team in receptions (28) and receiving yards (398) in 2022. The Columbus, Ohio, native caught a team-best four touchdowns during his sophomore season.

Craig (6-3, 266) received his first preseason honor following a sophomore season where he had 31 tackles and tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native had 10.5 tackles for loss during the season, including a career-high 3.5 against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl win.

Lee (6-5, 275) was tabbed as a second team selection after earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors by both the media and coaches in 2022 to go along with second-team All-Big Ten recognition from Athlon Sports. The Orion, Illinois, native finished fifth on the team with 54 tackles, including eight tackles for loss.

Evans (6-2, 246) received his second preseason honor (second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports) after starting all 13 games in 2022 en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors by the media and honorable mention honors by the coaches. The Ames, Iowa, native had 41 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Johnson (6-0, 212) was tabbed as a preseason third-team All-Big Ten honoree as a kick returner after averaging 25 yards on 13 returns during his true freshman season. The Ohio native earned freshman All-America honors after rushing for a freshman record 779 yards with six touchdowns in 2022.

Richman (6-6, 308) and Schulte (6-1, 208) garnered preseason fourth team honors. Richman started all 13 games in 2022 at left tackle en route to honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. Schulte started all 13 games at free safety, finishing fourth on the team with 71 tackles, six pass breakups and one interception.

The Hawkeyes open the season against Utah State in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. (CT).

Fans can purchase football season tickets by visiting hawkeyesports.com/footballtickets. The Fight for Iowa mobile passes are sold out and the mini ticket plans are currently on sale. Group tickets and Hawkeye Village ticket sales begin July 5, while single game tickets go on sale for donors on July 17 and to the general public on July 20.

University of Iowa faculty/staff should contact the University of Iowa Athletics Ticket Office for season tickets. The UI Athletics Ticket Office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office telephone number is 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

PHIL STEELE PRESEASON HONORS

First-Team All-America
P Tory Taylor

Second-Team All-America
DB Cooper DeJean

First-Team All-Big Ten
DB Cooper DeJean
P Tory Taylor
PK Drew Stevens

Second-Team All-Big Ten
TE Luke Lachey
DE Deontae Craig
DT Logan Lee

Third-Team All-Big Ten
DE Joe Evans
KR Kaleb Johnson

Fourth-Team All-Big Ten
OT Mason Richman
S Quinn Schulte