Hawk Item – – Totaled 217 career tackles to tie for 59th alltime . . . recorded an interception in three straight games (Northwestern, Michigan State, Minnesota) in 2020 . . . ranked sixth in the Big Ten and 27th in the nation with three interceptions . . . one of six seniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . one of three juniors named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . earned scholarship beginning with spring semester, 2020.
2021 Honors – – Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . Brett Greenwood Award . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele . . . 2021 – – Started at free safety in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense . . . five tackles vs. Indiana, including three solo tackles and two assists, along with two pass break-ups . . . started at free safety in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards . . . five solo tackles against ISU . . . started at free safety in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense . . . five solo tackles and two assists vs. Kent State, including one tackle for loss . . . started at free safety in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense . . . six solo tackles vs. CSU . . . started at free safety in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . two solo tackles at Maryland, along with first interception of the season and 18-yard return that led to second quarter touchdown . . . started at free safety in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . seven tackles vs. PSU, including four solo stops and three assists . . . second interception of the season halted a PSU drive . . . started at free safety in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . nine tackles vs. Purdue, including five solo stops and four assists, with career-high two tackles for loss . . . started at free safety in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . 11 tackles at Wisconsin, including matching career-high with nine solo stops to go with two assists . . . started at free safety in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . led team with eight solo tackles at Northwestern . . . started at free safety in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . eight tackles vs. Minnesota, including three solo tackles and five assists . . . did not see action in 33-23 win over Illinois due to injury . . . started at free safety in 28-21 win at Nebraska . . . seven tackles at Nebraska, including six solo stops and one assist . . . started at free safety in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan . . . eight tackles vs. Michigan, including five solo tackles and three assists . . . started at free safety in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky . . . five tackles vs. Kentucky, including one solo stop and four assists, with one shared tackle for loss and one pass break-up.
2020 Honors – – Second-team All-Big Ten by league media . . . second-team All-Big Ten by Associated Press and Phil Steele . . . third-team All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2020 – – Started all eight games at free safety . . . recorded 45 tackles, including 26 solo stops and 19 assists . . . also had three interceptions, two tackles for loss, two pass break-ups, and a blocked field goal . . . started at free safety in 24-20 loss at Purdue . . . matched career-high with 13 tackles at Purdue, including nine solo stops, four assists and one tackle for loss . . . started at free safety in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . five tackles vs. Northwestern, including two solo stops and three assists . . . also recorded first interception of the season and five yard return . . . started at free safety in 49-7 win over Michigan State as defense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . five tackles vs. MSU, including two solo stops and three assists . . . also collected second interception of the season vs. MSU and recorded a shared tackle for loss . . . started at free safety in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . two solo tackles at Minnesota, to go with interception and 19 yard return, one pass break-up, and the first blocked field goal of career . . . started at free safety in 41-21 win at Penn State as defense allowed just 62 net rushing yards . . . five tackles at PSU, including three solo stops and two assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at free safety in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . six tackles vs. Nebraska, including three solo stops and three assists . . . started at free safety in 35-21 win at Illinois . . . three tackles at Illinois, including two solo stops and one assist, along with a pass break-up and one QB pressure . . . started at free safety in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin as defense allowed 56 net rushing yards and 225 yards total offense . . . six tackles vs. the Badgers, including three solo tackles and three assists.
2019 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . Next Man In Award, defense . . . 2019 – – Saw action in all 13 games, with 11 starts at free safety . . . recorded 81 tackles, including 49 solo stops and 32 assists . . . collected one interception, five pass break-ups, two recovered fumbles and one caused fumble . . . saw action in 38-14 win over Miami, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . started at free safety in 30-0 win over Rutgers for first career start as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . recorded career-best four tackles vs. Rutgers, including two solo stops and two assists . . . started at free safety in 18-17 win at Iowa State . . . career-best eight tackles at Iowa State, including five solo stops and three assists . . . first career recovered fumble led to Iowa field goal, and also added two pass break-ups, including break-up on ISU’s final offensive play . . . started at free safety in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee, recording two solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . started at free safety in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . five tackles at Michigan, including four solo stops and one assist, along with one forced fumble and a pass break-up . . . started at free safety in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . career-high 13 tackles vs. PSU, including four solo tackles and nine assists . . . started at free safety in 26-20 win over Purdue as defense allowed just 33 net rushing yards . . . five tackles vs. Purdue, including three solo stops and two assists, along with on pass break-up . . . started at free safety in 20-0 win at Northwestern at defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . five tackles at Northwestern, including three solo stops and two assists . . . started at free safety in 24-22 loss at Wisconsin . . . seven tackles at Wisconsin, including five solo stops and two assists . . . started at free safety in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota as defense allowed just 63 net rushing yards . . . recorded five solo tackles vs. Minnesota, along with one pass break-up . . . started at free safety in 19-10 win over Illinois . . . seven tackles vs. Illinois, including career-best five solo stops and two assists . . . fumble recovery in fourth quarter led to Iowa field goal . . . started at free safety in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . 11 tackles at Nebraska, including five solo stops and six assists . . . first career interception and 20-yard return stopped Nebraska scoring threat at end of first half . . . started at free safety in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards . . . eight tackles vs. USC, including career-best six solo stops and two assists, along with first career tackle for loss.
2018 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2018 – – Saw action in 12 games, recording two tackles while playing primarily on special teams . . . recorded one assisted tackle for first career stop in 23-0 win over Maryland as defense allowed just 39 offensive plays and 115 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle in 63-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense.
2017 Honors – – Team Leader Award, special teams . . . 2017 – – Redshirted after joining the team as a walk-on.
High school honors – – Earned first-team all-state honors as a senior . . . first-team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . Career – – Two-year football letterman as defensive back and wide receiver . . . helped prep team win state titles as a junior and senior, with combined three-year record of 40-2 . . . team captain as a senior . . . also lettered in baseball.
Personal – – Born 8/24/98 . . . sport and recreation management major . . . parents are Gail and Gary Koerner . . . one of two players from Des Moines on Iowa roster . . . attended same high school as DL John Waggoner and RB Gavin Williams . . . high school coach was Tom Wilson.