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Cooper DeJean is preseason media favorite for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
Hawkeyes picked to finish second in Big Ten West, Kinnick among toughest road environments
IOWA CITY — Big Ten football beat writers picked Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean as the preseason favorite to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in the annual Cleveland.com poll.
DeJean, who had five interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns, edged Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton by one point.
Newton had seven first-place votes versus DeJean’s six, but DeJean’s nine second-place votes pushed him over the edge.
It marks the second consecutive year an Iowa player earned the unofficial preseason honor. Jack Campbell was the media’s preseason favorite to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last year, and he indeed won the postseason award.
No other Iowa player received any votes for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year or Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was the preseason favorite on the offensive side.
Thirty-seven media members, including The Gazette’s John Steppe, voted in the 2023 poll.
Iowa picked second in Big Ten West
Wisconsin is the media favorite to win the Big Ten West for the fourth consecutive year, with Iowa trailing one point behind.
It was the closest Big Ten division champion vote in the poll’s 13-year history.
Thirty-three of the 37 voters picked Iowa to finish either first or second in the division. But Wisconsin had the edge with 20 first-place votes compared to Iowa’s 16. One voter tabbed Minnesota to win the Big Ten West.
All 37 voters, regardless of their West favorite, predicted the Big Ten East champion to win the conference championship game in Indianapolis. Michigan was the favorite to win the Big Ten East.
Kinnick ranked among most hostile environments
This year’s poll also asked voters to select the toughest road environment in the Big Ten, and Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium ranked third with seven votes.
Penn State’s Beaver Stadium was the overwhelming choice with 17 votes.
Ohio Stadium received nine votes, Michigan Stadium received three votes and Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium received one vote.
Big Ten East
- Michigan, 248 points (27 first-place votes)
- Ohio State, 226 (8)
- Penn State, 192 (2)
- Maryland, 143
- Michigan State, 105
- Rutgers, 74
- Indiana, 48
Big Ten West
- Wisconsin, 233 points (20 first-place votes)
- Iowa, 232 (16)
- Minnesota, 176 (1)
- Illinois, 152
- Nebraska, 116
- Purdue, 89
- Northwestern, 38
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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