SI All-American Candidate Cooper DeJean Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Cooper DeJean
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
Position: Quarterback/Defensive Back
School: Battle Creek-Ida Grove (Iowa)
Committed: Iowa
Projected Position: Dual-Threat Quarterback or Safety
Frame: Powerful lower body. Still room to mature physically, especially in the upper body.
Athleticism: Excellent stop-and-go quickness and speed. Hip and upper leg power is fantastic for his size. Able to change direction while going at a very fast pace. Hand-eye coordination is fantastic, evident as excellent varsity basketball player and moderately successful sprinter.
Instincts: Dejean knows when to power through a tackler or juke him. Tremendous vision as a passer, and as a runner. Dejean throws over the top of linebackers and cornerbacks with touch, enabling him to complete seam routes, corner routes and dig routes.
Polish: A state title winner as a junior, he put together nearly 5,000 yards of total offense as the best athlete on the field on offense or defense. It means the polish is more evident as a runner or ball-hawking DB at this time. He flashes a big arm and is willing to take chances but it often comes with a lack of patience and discipline in the pocket as a passer.
Bottom Line: A player that defines the term athlete. DeJean runs the football with speed and elusiveness, yet understands how and where to throw the football at QB. He’s a player that teams must account for on every play. With a little bit of time in a college weight room, he can be very good at more than one position although he has a stronger floor in the secondary or potentially at wide receiver based on his athletic foundation.