Iowa football star Cooper DeJean declares for 2024 NFL Draft

DeJean could potentially be Hawkeyes’ fourth first-round pick in three-year span

IOWA CITY — From Odebolt to Iowa City to, soon, the NFL.

Iowa defensive back and special teams star Cooper DeJean will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter his name in the 2024 NFL Draft, he announced via social media on Thursday.

“These past three years have been filled with memories that will last a lifetime,” DeJean said in a social media post thanking coaches, family, teammates and fans. “Putting on the black and bold and playing in Kinnick Stadium has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.”

DeJean is widely projected to be a first round pick in April’s NFL Draft after another impressive season at Iowa. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., for example, ranked DeJean last week as the 13th-best overall prospect and No. 1 cornerback in the 2024 draft class. If those projections prove true, he would be Iowa’s fourth first-round selection in the last three years.

DeJean, despite suffering a season-ending injury with two games to go in the regular season, earned unanimous All-America honors. He grabbed two interceptions and returned one punt return for a touchdown. (What initially appeared to be a second punt return for a touchdown was called back because of an invalid fair catch signal.)

DeJean held opposing receivers to completions on 43.5 percent of targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

“This might be the 2023 version of Nile Kinnick,” defensive coordinator Phil Parker said last month before the team’s trip to the Citrus Bowl. “I don’t know. But I think he’s a really good player, and he’s a really good person.”

The loss of the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and Return Specialist of the Year leaves significant voids for Iowa on defense and special teams.

Deshaun Lee, who started in place of DeJean after his season-ending injury, is likely to take DeJean’s starting spot in 2024 as well. Other options at cornerback include John Nestor and T.J. Hall. Williamsburg native Kaden Wetjen took over punt return duties after DeJean’s injury and will be a senior in 2024.