How Iowa LB Jay Higgins rose from overlooked Brebeuf prospect to Big Ten star

INDIANAPOLIS -- Brebeuf Jesuit grad Jay Higgins walked into Lucas Oil Stadium this week with the admiration and respect of the entire Big Ten Conference.

Well, almost. When the video board displayed the league’s 12 preseason honors recipients, Higgins’ name appeared over a photo of Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.

The rest of the Big Ten doubted Higgins would ever make that list in any form. Only Iowa offered him a scholarship. With the Hawkeyes, he blossomed into the national leader in tackles and a top preseason contender for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

“Oh yeah, I think about that every day,” Higgins said. "That's probably the No. 1 thing that keeps me going. And because of that, I'm super appreciative of Iowa for giving me the opportunity to be here. Appreciate the coaching staff for seeing something in me that no one else saw.

“So I play with a chip on my shoulder because I remember when nobody wanted me. It's really easy to give Iowa all I have because they're the guys who actually saw something in me.”

Higgins emerged from Brebeuf as a three-star prospect – barely, ranked 1,646 ^th in the 247 Sports composite for the 2020 class. Iowa, though, did not find him by accident. It had already prioritized recruiting the Indianapolis area.

Decatur Central grad Tyrone Tracy Jr. , who later transferred to Purdue and converted from receiver to running back, played a pivotal role in luring Higgins to Iowa. At the time the Hawkeyes also featured North Central defensive back D.J. Johnson and a pair of former Warren Central stars – defensive back Julius Brents and offensive lineman Justin Britt.

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Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said his program’s recruiting success tends to correlate with how often parents can come to campus. The Hawkeyes beat out Toledo and Miami of Ohio for Higgins. In retrospect, it looks like they pulled off a coup.

“I've said for years, if we just get the MAC all-stars in our recruiting, we’ve got a chance to have a really good football team,” Ferentz said. "Jay is a great example of that. He was under recruited, but boy he’s a helluva football player. He can play anywhere in the country – he's proven that.

“... He's just -- he's a winner. I mean, he's going places.”

By picking the Big Ten over the MAC, Higgins also chose a longer route to a major impact. He spent a couple of seasons stuck behind star linebacker Jack Campbell. The Butkus Award winner and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year became a first-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions – an increasingly rare status for linebackers.

In the meantime, Higgins focused on what he called “working underground.” When he emerged last season, he piled up 171 tackles. That led the Big Ten by almost three per game.

Ferentz said the coaching staff went into the season confident in Higgins’ ability to succeed Campbell. But what he accomplished last season was “just phenomenal.”

That performance also raised Higgins’ NFL prospect status. He chose a different opportunity – the chance to become Iowa’s biggest recruiter. He could not pull defensive back Cooper DeJean back from his eventual second-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles. But the bulk of the Hawkeyes’ draft-eligible contributors followed Higgins’ lead and stuck around for 2024.

“I don’t want to take credit for it, but I did post I was coming back first," Higgins said. “I took those dudes on official visits. We went downtown, got some dinner. If I would have gotten Cooper, I probably would have stopped playing ball and went full-time recruiter.”

Higgins served on Iowa’s Player Council last season, which assists in creating the policies and decisions which govern the team. Thanks to a new NCAA rule this season, he will have defensive coordinator Phil Parker in his ear on every snap as the player designated to wear the helmet communication device.

While everyone else wonders if he can top his gaudy tackles total, Higgins’ primary goal is “be the best leader I can be.” The Hawkeyes say he’s there.

“That's the reason why he's here today,” Iowa safety Quinn Schulte said. “Every day he just shows up and works hard for the young guys below him.”

Higgins already stocked his career with memories in Lucas Oil – though always one step short of the ultimate goal. He and Brebeuf lost the 2017 Class 3A state championship game to Evansville Memorial. The Hawkeyes lost two of the last three Big Ten championship games there to Michigan.

He added another memory Wednesday. His parents, Shelley and Roy, came to the stadium, but were not allowed inside without a credential. So Higgins snuck down to the lobby in between interviews.

“You're crazy if you think my mom and my dad aren't giving me a hug and I'm 10 minutes from the house,” Higgins said.

Five years ago, Iowa embraced Higgins, too. That decision might lead them back to Indianapolis later this season.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Iowa LB Jay Higgins rose from overlooked Brebeuf prospect to Big Ten star