IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa football senior punter Tory Taylor and junior cornerback Cooper DeJean have been named to ESPN’s midseason All-America team on Tuesday.
Taylor, an Australia native, has punted an FBS-best 45 times this season with only one touchback. He ranks first in the conference and fourth in the country in average yards per punt (48.3). Nineteen of his 45 punts have been for 50+ yards, while 17 have been downed inside the 20.
Taylor has earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors each of the last two weeks and has been included in Ray’s 8, which recognizes top punting performances nationally, four of the first six weeks of 2023.
DeJean is fourth on the Hawkeyes with 36 tackles, he has 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and two interceptions, including one in the end zone against Michigan State. DeJean has played 309 snaps this season in coverage without giving up a touchdown.
The Odebolt, Iowa, native is leading the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally with a 13.0 punt return average and he is one of 29 players in the country with a punt return touchdown. DeJean returned a punt 70 yards for a game-deciding score against Michigan State late in the fourth quarter.
No. 24 Iowa (6-1, 3-1) will host Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City (2:33 p.m. CT, NBC).
