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Jay Higgins, Iowa’s leading tackler, reveals plans for 2024

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Jay Higgins is coming back for more college football in 2024, and he didn’t need a lot of words to confirm his decision!

In a note shared by Iowa Tuesday evening, Higgins confirmed his decision to use another year of eligibility in 2024. Higgins simply stated “I got more to prove” in the graphic shared by the Hawkeyes on social media.

Needless to say, Higgins’ decision is a massive win for Iowa’s defense after he led the team in tackles this year:

Higgins led the entire B1G and finished second in the country while delivering 155 total tackles. His 11.92 tackles per game finished third in the nation but was the highest mark among Power 5 defenders. Higgins rounded out his season with 4 TFL, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and 4 pass breakups.

Despite such lofty numbers, Higgins was not in the mix for some of the top linebacker awards in the country. He was also passed by within the B1G as Ohio State’s Tommy Eichenberg received the conference’s Linebacker of the Year Award.

Higgins is the latest in a long line of veteran linebacker contributors for the Hawkeyes. He began his rise with a reserve role in the 2022 season but quickly showcased he was a legitimate contributor early in the 2023 season.

Now, the Hawkeyes can pencil Higgins into the middle of the defense for one more season.

Paul Harvey

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.