Multiple Iowa players earn All Big Ten honors

Three University of Iowa football student-athletes — Jay Higgins, Kaleb Johnson and Kaden Wetjen — were recognized with Big Ten Conference positional player of the year awards on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes had a total of 19 players earn all-conference recognition. 

Higgins was named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, Johnson was tabbed as the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year and Wetjen was recognized as the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year. Iowa was the only Big Ten program with three separate players earning positional awards.

Defensively, Higgins was tabbed first-team All-Big Ten by both league head coaches and voting media. Defensive backs Sebastian Castro and Jermari Harris were both third team honorees by the coaches and media. DT Aaron Graves, DE Ethan Hurkett, LB Nick Jackson, FS Quinn Schulte and DT Yahya Black earned honorable mention by both the coaches and media, while DE Deontae Craig was honorable mention by the media.

All four Hawkeye specialists were recognized in 2024. Wetjen was a first-team all-conference selection (coaches; media). PK Drew Stevens was a third team honoree (coaches; media), P Rhys Dakin was recognized on the second team by the media and third team by the coaches, while LS Luke Elkin was tabbed second team by the media and honorable mention by the coaches.

On offense, Johnson was a first team honoree by both the coaches and media. Joining Johnson on the first team was OG Connor Colby (coaches; media) and C Logan Jones (media); Jones was selected as a third team member by the coaches. OT Gennings Dunker was recognized on the second team by the coaches and third team by the media. OG Beau Stephens and OT Mason Richman were honorable mention by both the coaches and media, while TE Luke Lachey earned honorable mention laurels by the media.

Higgins is the third Hawkeye in eight years to be voted the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year (Josey Jewell, 2017; Jack Campbell, 2022). Johnson is the first Hawkeye to be the recipient of Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year since the award was introduced in 2011. Wetjen joins former Hawkeyes Ihmir Smith-Marsette (2018), Charlie Jones (2021) and Cooper DeJean (2023) as winners of the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year.

Higgins, who was a semifinalist for three national awards (Lombardi, Butkus, Lott IMPACT), is the only player in the nation with 100+ tackles and four interceptions. His four picks are most amongst linebackers from a Power 4 conference. Higgins ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles (12th nationally), making 118 tackles (9.8 per game). 

Johnson, who is a Doak Walker Award finalist, had a record-breaking year. He posted school single-season records in points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing scores (21). Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards in 12 games in 2024, sixth-most in the country and third-most in program history. The native of Hamilton, Ohio, scored at least one touchdown in all 12 regular season games — the longest stretch in school history. He had seven games in 2024 with two or more rushing touchdowns, believed to be the most in a single season in program history.

Wetjen, who is a Jet Award finalist, leads the nation with 888 combined kick return yards (next most is 674 yards). He is second in the FBS in punt return yards (312) and sixth in kickoff return yards (576). The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, native had an 85-yard punt return for a score against Northwestern, the seventh-longest in school history. He had 100+ kickoff return yards in three straight games (Washington, Michigan State and Northwestern) in 2024, a first by a Hawkeye since at least 1978.

Jones started all 12 games at center in 2024 and has 38 career starts. A two-time all-conference honoree, Jones and the Hawkeye offensive line gained 200 or more yards eight times in 2024. Iowa has amassed 2,599 rushing yards, the most since 2002. Jones and the line allowed just 15 sacks this season. Iowa’s offensive line is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.

Colby and Richman were four-year starters on the offensive line, both starting all 12 games in 2024. Richman’s 51 career starts are most by any Hawkeye offensive lineman in the Kirk Ferentz era (1999-present). Richman has earned honorable mention accolades four consecutive seasons. Colby started 49 career games, which ties Austin Blythe for second most in program history. Colby is a two-time all-conference honoree.

Dunker and Stephens started 10 games at tackle and guard, respectively, in 2024.

Lachey played in 11 games in 2024, leading Iowa’s tight ends and ranking second overall, with 27 receptions and 227 receiving yards. Lachey was a team captain in all 12 games in 2024 and is a two-time honorable mention honoree.

Castro and Harris were both sixth-year senior defensive backs. Castro’s 56 tackles were fourth-most on the team. A two-time all-conference honoree, Castro also had an interception, three tackles for loss, forced two fumbles, one pass break-up and a quarterback hurry. Harris led the squad with seven pass break-ups. He also registered 27 tackles, including one for loss, and had three interceptions, including a pick-six.

Jackson garners his third straight all-conference nod (two in the Big Ten and one in the ACC). He was also recognized as the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. The Atlanta native and sixth-year senior amassed 83 tackles in 2024 to rank second on the team and 11th in the Big Ten. He also accumulated five tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, five hurries, returned an interception 28 yards and tied for first on the team with seven pass break-ups.

Black, Craig, Hurkett and Graves each started every game on the defensive line in 2024, while Schulte has been the leader of Iowa’s defensive secondary throughout the season.

Black totaled 31 tackles, including five for loss and one sack, recorded Iowa’s only blocked kick of the season (field goal versus Washington), and had two hurries and two pass break-ups. Hurkett led all defensive linemen, and ranked fourth on the team, with 55 tackles. He led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks, while also forcing three fumbles and registering two hurries. Graves had 32 tackles, including eight for loss and six sacks, forced three fumbles, and was credited with two pass break-ups and two hurries. Craig totaled 38 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack, had six hurries and one pass break-up.

Schulte ranked third on the team with 57 tackles as Iowa’s free safety. He also had three interceptions and three pass break-ups. Schulte was a team captain in all 12 games in 2024 and is a two-time honorable mention honoree.

Dakin punted 60 times as a true freshman, averaging 44.2 yards per kick, which ranked fifth in the Big Ten. Twenty-seven of his punts were downed inside the 20, 16 traveled 50 yards or more, while only five were touchbacks. Dakin had four consecutive punts either downed or fair caught inside the 6-yard line against Northwestern, with one of the punts ultimately resulting in a safety.

Stevens, a two-time all-league honoree, connected on 19-of-22 field goals as a junior in 2024. He earned Big Ten weekly accolades the past two weeks after tying a school-record five field goals made in Iowa’s win at Maryland and converting two field goals, including a 53-yard game winner as time expired, in the regular season finale against Nebraska. Stevens has made a school-record eight field goals of 50 yards or more in his career, while his 1.58 field goals made per game in 2024 rank second-best in the Big Ten and 14th nationally.

The conference added long snappers to the postseason awards list for the first time in 2024. Elkin was on the Mannelly Award Watch List throughout the season, which recognizes the most outstanding long snapper. Elkin, who has been Iowa’s long snapper the past four seasons, earned the team’s Next Man In Award (special teams) as a freshman, Hayden Fry Award as a sophomore and Coaches Appreciation Award as a junior. Elkin snapped for Dakin and Stevens, as well as Tory Taylor, the Ray Guy Award recipient and consensus All-American in 2023.

Iowa finished the regular season 8-4 overall and tied for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with a 6-3 conference record. The Hawkeyes will learn their bowl destination Sunday, Dec. 8.

2024 ALL-BIG TEN

FIRST TEAM
OT Connor Colby (coaches; media)
LB Jay Higgins (coaches; media)
RB Kaleb Johnson (coaches; media)
C Logan Jones (media)
RS Kaden Wetjen (coaches; media)

SECOND TEAM
P Rhys Dakin (media)
LS Luke Elkin (media)
OT Gennings Dunker (coaches)
C Logan Jones (coaches)

THIRD TEAM
DB Sebastian Castro (coaches; media)
P Rhys Dakin (coaches)
OT Gennings Dunker (media)
DB Jermari Harris (coaches; media)
PK Drew Stevens (coaches; media)

HONORABLE MENTION
DT Yahya Black (coaches; media); LS Luke Elkin (coaches); DT Aaron Graves (coaches; media); DE Deontae Craig (media); DE Ethan Hurkett (coaches; media); LB Nick Jackson (coaches; media); TE Luke Lachey (media); OT Mason Richman (coaches; media); FS Quinn Schulte (coaches; media); OG Beau Stephens (coaches; media)