Jay Higgins and Luke Lachey of the Iowa Hawkeyes get into CBS Sports’ Top 100 Players for 2024.
For this team, two Hawkeyes happen to fit into the latter group as they continue to develop into elite players and producers. Luke Lachey, a tight end, and linebacker Jay Higgins are those two. All of them play two positions that the Hawkeyes are well-known for.
Among the top 100 college football players for 2024, according to CBS Sports, are the two of them. Higgins breaks into the top 25 and is ranked as the No. 21 player in America; Luke Lachey, who is expected to make his comeback from a leg injury, is rated as the No. 69 player in the country and is considered an extremely gifted player.
21. LB in IowaJay Higgins
With his nose for the ball and his ability to be involved in nearly every tackle, Higgins is an incredibly effective player. With 171 tackles in his first season as a genuine starter, including 18 versus Penn State, he led the nation last season.
Throughout the season, Higgins only missed seven tackle attempts. He is a good athlete who always seems to be in the perfect place. He also does a good job covering. I’m guessing that in 2025, the NFL will take notice. According to CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer
For the Hawkeyes, Higgins was a tackling machine, as CBS notes. He appeared to be involved in nearly every play. Instead of joining the NFL, Jay Higgins has decided to return to one of the best teams in college football, along with seven other players. Jay Higgins’ Sunday performance is just a question of time.
Though his season was cut short due to an injury that kept him out of three games, Lachey is one of the top in-line tight ends in the game. We haven’t seen much of him lately. A plus-blocker who can compete in zone and gap schemes, is a big target to work the center of the field in passing situations. Lachey must be well for Tight End U. If he is, Iowa’s success will be greatly attributed to him.Beckermeyer of CBS Sports
What occurs when a player isn’t on the field is one of the greatest compliments and demonstrates how much a team needs him. When Lachey was injured last year, Iowa had severe passing game problems. This season, the Hawkeyes will make him one of their main targets in their passing offense, and Lachey might be the next Iowa tight end to make it to the big leagues.