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Iowa announces departure of Deavin Hilson from football team

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•10/17/24•

BarkleyTruax

Deavin Hilson
© Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Iowa football team has announced that defensive back Deavin Hilson has left the Hawkeyes program.

Hilson played on special teams for Iowa in 2024, appearing in five games for the Hawkeyes this season. Head coach Kirk Ferentz revealed the news on Thursday in a statement.

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“Deavin has decided to focus on academics with the goal of graduating next August,” the Hawkeyes coach said. “We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best in the future.”

Instead of opting out of the season and entering the transfer portal, which has become common throughout the regular season, it appears as though Hilson has decided to focus on his personal life as he gears up for the next stage in his life.

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Hilson leaves the football program having won the team’s Team Leader Award in 2022. Transitioning from running back to defensive back as a redshirt freshman that season, he recorded one solo tackle each against Ohio State and Purdue that season and saw action in eight games.

In 2023, the two-year letterwinner recorded just one tackle in a loss to Tennessee. He also won the Team Hustle Award for special teams.

Appearing to be a hard-working, locker room leader behind the scenes despite his limited role on the field, he ultimately landed on the decision to step away from football.

Before college, Hilson was a three-star prospect out of the the 2021 recruiting class. A Des Moines native, Hilson attended North High School where he was the No. 19 player in the state, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 1,553 player in his class.

The Hawkeyes will move forward, travelling to Michigan State this weekend for a road Big Ten matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night live on NBC and Peacock.