Trio of Hawkeyes named to Nagurski Trophy watch list
The trio of Jay Higgins, Sebastian Castro, and Nick Jackson will lead the Iowa defense in the 2024 season. On Tuesday they were recognized by one of the many awards that are handed out later this year, being named to the watch list for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy.
All three players returned to the University of Iowa for an extra season and head into the year with plenty of preseason accolades.
Castro is listed by Athlon’s as a four team preseason All American and second team All Big Ten. He is also second team All Big Ten heading into the year according to Phil Steele.
Jackson is listed as a second team All American by Athlon’s and fourth team by Phil Steele. He is a first team preseason All Big Ten selection.
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Higgins Is Phil Steele’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a preseason first team All American according to Steele, Athlon’s and Walter Camp. He was also first team All Big Ten according to Steele and Athlon’s.
Iowa and Georgia have the second-most Nagurski preseason honorees. Former Hawkeye cornerback Cooper DeJean (2023) and linebackers Josey Jewell (2017) and Pat Angerer (2009) were finalists for the prestigious award.
Higgins (6-foot-2, 232-pounds) recorded 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists) last season, which led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation. That total ties the program record for tackles in a single season. The Indianapolis native was named to the FWAA All-American First Team in 2023.
Jackson (6-foot-2, 235-pounds) contributed 110 tackles (51 solo, 59 assists) at linebacker, good for second on the team and fourth in the conference. The Atlanta, Georgia, native was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree by league media and honorable mention all-conference by league coaches in 2023.
Castro (5-foot-11, 205-pounds) led the team in 2023 with eight pass break-ups and three interceptions in the defensive backfield. Those totals ranked fourth and ninth in the Big Ten, respectively, last season.
Castro was a Football Focus first-team All-America, an Associated Press third-team All-American and a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American a year ago. The native of Oak Lawn, Illinois, was voted second-team All-Big Ten by conference media and honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
