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Cooper DeJean receives official status for Week 12 vs. Illinois
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Cooper DeJean was reportedly injured earlier in the week, and Iowa has confirmed the designation for DeJean entering the Week 12 game.
According to reports, DeJean was injured in practice this week and his immediate future was unclear. When Saturday’s availability report was dropped, Iowa confirmed the star defensive back and special teams ace will miss the remainder of the season.
DeJean joins Luke Lachey, Erick All and Cade McNamara as key contributors to receive long-term or season-ending injuries for the Hawkeyes in 2023.
According to Scott Dochterman with The Athletic, DeJean did have surgery on his injury Friday night. He is also reporting a 12-week recovery timeline for DeJean.
Availability report for Iowa (all out, no questionable):
Diante Vines
TJ Hall
Cooper DeJean (had surgery last night, out for season, 12-week recovery)
TJ Washington
Reese Osgood
Zach Twedt
Beau Stephens
Luke Lachey— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) November 18, 2023
Remarkably, Iowa still has a shot at wrapping up the outright B1G West title in Week 12 without DeJean and the other contributors. A win over Illinois or against Nebraska on Black Friday would send the Hawkeyes to Indianapolis and the B1G Championship Game.
As for DeJean, he will face an offseason decision between turning pro and entering the 2024 NFL Draft or returning to Iowa City for another year.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.