NFL Draft

Iowa DB Cooper DeJean Out for Season with Leg Injury

One of the most versatile defenders in college football will miss the rest of the 2023 season.

Luke Easterling

Iowa DB Cooper DeJean Out for Season with Leg Injury
Iowa DB Cooper DeJean Out for Season with Leg Injury /
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Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean will miss the remainder of the 2023 college football season due to a lower leg injury, Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed Wednesday.

One of the most versatile and athletic defenders in all of college football, DeJean has been a dynamic playmaker during his time at Iowa, lining up all over the field for the Hawkeyes defense. He's also one of the most explosive return specialists in the country.

This is obviously a huge blow to an Iowa team that still hopes to make it to the Big Ten title game, and it's something NFL scouts will be keeping an eye on as we look ahead to the 2024 draft process.

DeJean is one of the top defensive prospects in this year's draft class, and widely regarded as a first-round talent. It remains to be seen whether or not his injury and subsequent recovery process could limit him during the pre-draft workout circuit, and how that might impact his draft stock.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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