Cooper DeJean, Jay Higgins, Tory Taylor earn AP all-Big Ten first-team honors

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s Jay Higgins, Cooper DeJean and Tory Taylor have earned Associated Press all-Big Ten first-team honors, the AP announced Wednesday morning.

Taylor, who averaged a career-high 47.9 yards per punt this season, was a unanimous selection as the first-team punter. The Big Ten named him the conference’s 2023 Punter of the Year last week.

DeJean earned first-team honors at both the cornerback and all-purpose positions. The Odebolt native had two interceptions this season and returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown against Michigan State. He almost had another punt return touchdown against Minnesota.

Higgins has enjoyed a highly productive first season as Iowa’s starting middle linebacker. With 155 total tackles so far this season, he is 17 short of breaking a 51-year-old program record going into the bowl game.

Iowa safety Sebastian Castro earned AP all-Big Ten second-team honors. Castro has a team-high three interceptions and 11 pass deflections this season.

The Hawkeyes did not have any offensive players on the AP all-Big Ten teams.

Former Iowa wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr., who transferred to Purdue after the 2021 season, was the AP’s second-team all-purpose honoree. Tracy averaged 25.5 yards per kick return for the Boilermakers, which included a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown against Fresno State.

Northwestern’s David Braun was the AP’s Big Ten coach of the year after inheriting a one-win team rocked by an offseason scandal and winning seven games.

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison is the AP’s offensive player of the year in the conference, and Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton was the AP’s defensive player of the year.

The Associated Press polled 23 sports reporters across the conference for its AP all-Big Ten teams, including The Gazette’s John Steppe.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com