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INDIANAPOLIS — Brebeuf Jesuit grad Jay Higgins walked into Lucas Oil Stadium this week with the admiration and respect of the entire Big Ten Conference.
Well, almost. When the video board displayed the league’s 12 preseason honors recipients, Higgins’ name appeared over a photo of Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.
The rest of the Big Ten doubted Higgins would ever make that list in any form. Only Iowa offered him a scholarship. With the Hawkeyes, he blossomed into the national leader in tackles and a top preseason contender for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Brebeuf Jesuit grad Jay Higgins (34) recorded a nation-leading 171 tackles for Iowa last season. Ranked outside the top 1,600 players in his signing class, he enters 2024 as a leading contender for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
“Oh yeah, I think about that every day,” Higgins said. “That’s probably the No. 1 thing that keeps me going. And because of that, I’m super appreciative of Iowa for giving me the opportunity to be here. Appreciate the coaching staff for seeing something in me that no one else saw.
“So I play with a chip on my shoulder because I remember when nobody wanted me. It’s really easy to give Iowa all I have because they’re the guys who actually saw something in me.”
Higgins emerged from Brebeuf as a three-star prospect – barely, ranked 1,646th in the 247 Sports composite for the 2020 class. Iowa, though, did not find him by accident. It had already prioritized recruiting the Indianapolis area.
Decatur Central grad Tyrone Tracy Jr., who later transferred to Purdue and converted from receiver to running back, played a pivotal role in luring Higgins to Iowa. At the time the Hawkeyes also featured North Central defensive back D.J. Johnson and a pair of former Warren Central stars – defensive back Julius Brents and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-lb-jay-higgins-rose-083021687.html
Author : Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-07-29 08:30:21
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