#34 Jay Higgins Season 2023-24

Hawk Item - - His 335 career tackles ranks 15th in program history... has 17 career games with 10+ tackles... first Hawkeye to record 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons (118-2024, 171-2023) since Jack Campbell in 2021-22... his 171 total tackles in 2023 ties the school record for most in a single season in program history... his 92 assisted tackles in 2023 ranks second for most in a season in school history.

2024 Honors - - AFCA, AP, FWAA, Sporting News, and Walter Camp first-team All-America... Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year... first-team All-Big Ten (coaches; media)... AP first-time All-Big Ten... Butkus, Bednarik, and Lombardi Award semifinalist... Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist... AP, CBS Sports, Sporting News, The Athletic Midseason All-America... Phil Steele preseason Defensive Player of the Year... Associated Press, Athlon, CBS Sports, ESPN, Phil Steele, and Walter Camp preseason first-team All-America... Sporting News preseason All-American... Athlon and Phil Steele preseason first-team All-Big Ten... Big Ten preseason honors list... Butkus, Bednarik, and Lombardi Award midseason Watch list...  Nagurski, Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi Award, and Allstate Wuerffel Trophy preseason Watch Lists... Senior Bowl preseason Watch List... Roy Carver MVP, defense... Permanent Team Captain, defense... Hayden Fry Award, defense... UI October Male Athlete of the Month... one of eight seniors named to 2024 Player Council... 2024 - - Started at linebacker in all 12 games, marking his 28th career start... leads the team with 118 tackles (49 solo, 69 assists), including 2.5 tackles for a loss of eight yards, one QB sack for five yards, a team-high four interceptions for 15 yards, five pass break-ups, six QB pressures, forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble on the season... leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the nation in  assisted tackles (69)... ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation in total tackles (118)... the two forced fumbles rank sixth in the Big Ten... is the only player from a major conference with 100+ tackles and four interceptions this season... his four interceptions rank second in the Big Ten and 17th in the nation, and are the most by a Hawkeye linebacker since Josey Jewell (4-2016)... has six10+ tackle games this season... led team in tackles in 11 of 12 games, leaving the game at UCLA due to injury... led team with a season-high 14 tackles (six solo, eight assists), including one QB sack for five yards, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble in 7-35 loss at #3/3 Ohio State... led team with  season-high 14 tackles (five solo, nine assists) and one QB pressure in 40-16 win over Washington... led team with a season-high 14 tackles (four solo, 10 assists) and one pass break-up in 20-32 loss at Michigan State... led team with 11 tackles (six solo, five assists) in 19-20 loss to Iowa State, marking his 12th career game with 10+ tackles... also intercepted his second career pass for five yards, forced a fumble and recorded one QB pressure vs. Iowa State... led team with 12 tackles (four solo, eight assists), including one tackle for a loss of one yard, and a career-high two QB pressures in 13-10 win over Nebraska... led team with nine tackles (one solo, eight assists), while intercepting his third career pass and recording one pass break-up in 31-14 win at Minnesota... led team with 10 tackles (seven solo, three assists), one pass break-up and one QB pressure in 42-10 win over Wisconsin... led team with eight tackles (five solo, three assists) and intercepted his third pass of the season (10-yard return) as defense allowed just 163 yards in 40-14 win over Northwestern... led team with eight tackles (four solo, four assists), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of two yards, one pass break-up and snagged his fourth interception of the season in 29-13 loss at Maryland... led team with seven tackles (three solo, four assists) and one pass break-up as defense allowed just 189 yards in season-opening 40-0 shutout of Illinois State... led team with seven tackles (two solo, five assists) in 38-21 win over Troy... recorded four tackles (two solo, two assists) and one QB pressure in 17-20 loss at UCLA before leaving the game due to injury.

2023 Honors – – First-team All-America by FWAA, Phil Steele, and Sports Illustrated… second-team All-America by AFCA, CBS, Walter Camp, Associated Press, and Sporting News… first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media… Iowa’s Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree for all male student-athletes… Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for football… Phil Steele first-team All-Big Ten… midseason first team All-American by FOX and the Sporting News… Associated Press midseason second team All-American… named to Rotary Lombardi Award midseason Watch List… Butkus Award semifinalist… Roy Carver Most Valuable Player, defense; Permanent Team Captain, defense; Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award, defense… Duke Slater Golden Gavel Award honoree… one of nine seniors named to 2023 Player Council… 2023 – – Started at middle linebacker in all 14 games… led team with 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists) on the season, which led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation… led the Big Ten and ranked fifth in the nation in assisted tackles (92), led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation in solo tackles (79), and ranked second in the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (2)… the 171 total tackles tied the school record for most in a season, and the 92 assisted tackles ranks second for in a season in program history… also had five tackles for a loss of 13 yards, including two QB sacks for nine yards, one interception, four pass break-ups, four QB pressures, and one forced fumble on the season… recorded 15+ tackles in three games and 10+ tackles in 10 games this season… played the most coverage snaps by a linebacker without allowing a touchdown (472)… led team with a career-high 18 tackles (10 solo, eight assists) in 31-0 loss at Penn State… that tackle number was the most recorded by a Hawkeye since 2012… led team with 16 tackles (12 solo, 4 assists) and one pass break-up in season-opening 24-14 win over Utah State… led team with 16 tackles (career-high 14 solo, two assists), including one QB sack for seven yards, and one QB pressure in 35-0 loss to Tennessee… led team with 14 tackles (two solo, career-high 12 assists), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of one yard, and one QB pressure in 12-10 loss to Minnesota… led team with 14 tackles (five solo, nine assists) in 26-0 loss to Michigan… led team with 13 tackles (seven solo, six assists) and forced one fumble in 15-6 win at Wisconsin… led team with 12 tackles (six solo, six assists) and one pass break-up in 15-13 win over Illinois… led team with 12 tackles (four solo, eight assists) in 26-16 win vs. Michigan State… led team with 12 tackles and recorded his first career interception in 20-14 win over Purdue… led team with 12 tackles (six solo, six assists), including one QB sack for two yards and two tackles for a loss of three yards, in 10-7 win at Northwestern… collected a team-high nine tackles (four solo, five assists), first forced fumble of his career and one QB pressure in 41-10 win over Western Michigan… led team with eight tackles (two solo, six assists), including one tackle for a loss of one yard, in 22-0 win over Rutgers… had eight tackles (three solo, five assists), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of one yard, one fumble recovery and one QB pressure in 13-10 win at Nebraska… tallied seven tackles (two solo, five assists) and one pass break-up in 20-13 win at Iowa State… letterwinner.

2022 Honors – – Hayden Fry Award, special teams… Next Man In Award, defense… one of six juniors named to Player Council… 2022 – – Played in 12 games, starting at leo/cash position vs. Wisconsin… recorded 39 tackles (20 solo, 19 assists), including 1.5 tackles for loss and .5 QB sacks… posted a season-high 11 tackles in 33-13 win over Northwestern (six solo, five assists)… collected seven tackles (four solo, three assists) in 27-14 loss to #4 Michigan including a shared tackle for loss… had five tackles in 27-10 win at Rutgers (two solo, three assists), with a shared tackle for loss and QB sack… collected two tackles (one solo, one assist) in 24-10 win over Wisconsin, recovered blocked punt and had three-yard return that led to Iowa’s first touchdown… tallied four tackles in 24-3 win at Purdue (three solo, one assist)… recorded four tackles (three solo, one assist) in 13-10 win at Minnesota… letterwinner.

2021 – – Played in all 14 games, recording five tackles (three solo, two assists)… recorded with two solo tackles in 51-14 win at Maryland, while adding first career fumble recovery on special teams that led to Iowa touchdown… letterwinner.

2020 – – Played in six games, recording two solo tackles in 35-7 win at Minnesota for first career statistics… one of eight true freshmen to see game action… letterwinner.

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 game 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 2/14/2002… environmental policy and planning major… parents are Shelley and Roy Higgins… high school coach was Mic Roessler.