Hawk Item – – One of six juniors named to 2022 Player Council . . . one of eight true freshmen to see action in 2020, playing in six games.
2022 Honors – – Hayden Fry Award, special teams . . . Next Man In Award, defense . . . 2022 – – Listed as second team middle linebacker following spring practice . . . saw action in 12 games . . . saw action in 7-3 opening win over South Dakota State, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 120 yards total offense . . . saw action in 10-7 loss to Iowa State but had no statistics. . . saw action in 27-0 win over Nevada, recording two assisted tackles as defense allowed just 151 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-10 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards . . . career-best five tackles at Rutguers, including two solo stops and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss and QB sack . . . saw action in 27-14 loss to #4 Michigan . . . career-high seven tackles vs. Michigan, with four solo tackles and three assists, including a shared tackle for loss . . . saw action in 9-6 loss at Illinois . . . recorded one assisted tackle at Illinois, a shared tackle for loss . . . saw action in 54-10 loss at #2 Ohio State but had no statistics . . . saw action in 33-13 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 18 net rushing yards and 177 yards total offense . . . career-best 11 tackles vs. Northwestern, including six solo tackles and five assists . . . saw action in 24-3 win at Purdue as offense allowed just 87 net rushing yards and 255 yards total offense . . . four tackles at Purdue, including three solo tackles and one assist . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-10 win over Wisconsin as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 227 yards total offense . . . two tackles vs. Wisconsin, including one solo tackle and one assist . . . recovered blocked punt and had three-yard return that led to Iowa’s first touchdown . . . saw action in 13-10 win at Minnesota . . . four tackles at Minnesota, including three solo tackles and one assist . . . did not see action in 24-17 loss to Nebraska due to injury . . . started at outside linebacker in 21-0 Music City Bowl win over Kentucky as defense allowed just 68 net rushing yards and 185 yards total offense . . . two tackles vs. Kentucky, including one solo tackle and one assist.
2021 – – Saw action in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . matched career-best with two solo tackles at Maryland, while adding first career fumble recovery on special teams that led to Iowa touchdown . . . saw action in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-7 loss to Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-12 win at Northwestern, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 27-22 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 33-23 win over Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 28-21 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky, but had no statistics.
2020 – – Saw action on special teams in 24-20 loss at Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 21-20 loss to Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 49-7 win over Michigan State, but had no statistics as defense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . saw action in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . two solo tackles at Minnesota for first career statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 41-21 win at Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 35-21 win at Illinois . . . did not see action in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin.
High School Honors — Named to All-State Top 50 as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-state, all-conference, and all-county as a junior and senior . . . earned all-state and all-conference honors as a sophomore . . . Career — Four-year football letterman as linebacker and tight end . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . helped prep team reach state championship as a sophomore and state regionals as a junior . . . three-year prep record of 27-11 . . . ranked in the top 10 nationally in tackles as a senior . . . holds school record with 471 career tackles . . . led conference in tackles for three consecutive seasons . . . had 151 tackles, five pass break-ups, and three forced fumbles as a senior . . . finished with 145 tackles, three pass break-ups, three forced fumbles, and an interception return for a touchdown as a junior . . . had 158 tackles and four forced fumbles as a sophomore . . . had 17 tackles as a freshman . . . also earned three letters in basketball.
Personal — Born 2/14/02 . . . open major . . . parents are Shelley and Roy Higgins . . . high school coach was Mic Roessler.