Ready to report: Cooper DeJean

An All-American in football, all-state in basketball, and now a three-time state champion in track, Cooper DeJean is one of the more decorated high school athletes from the state of Iowa in recent memory. Now, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound DeJean will be taking his talents to the University of Iowa as he gets ready to report to campus and begin workouts with the Hawkeyes in a couple weeks. We caught up with DeJean after state track to discuss making the transition to college at Iowa and much more.

Q: Are you all the way done with high school and graduation and everything at this point?

DeJean: Yep. We graduated last Sunday. Not this past weekend, but the Sunday before that, so I’ve been done for a little while. I’ve just been running track and trying to lift and stay in shape so I’m ready to move in this June.

Q: So State Track was kind of the last high school event left on your calendar. What was the overall experience like for you down there this past weekend?

DeJean: It was great. I was glad they opened it up so everybody could come watch. That was huge because the atmosphere was great, especially after having a year off of not doing track at all. It was good to be back down there and see everybody out and enjoying track and field again.

Q: What was the feeling like leaving there as the state champion in the 100 meter dash, long jump, 4x100 relay, and finishing second in the 200?

DeJean: I thought it went pretty well. Obviously I wish I could have won the 200, but other than that I was happy with how I did. I’m really glad we won the 4x100 because that’s something we’ve been working on for a while. Overall, it was a great weekend. It’s always great to go down there and spend time with your teammates in the hotel and just enjoying getting to participate with them on the track one last time.

Q: Not getting a chance to compete in track since your sophomore year, how much did your times improve this season?

DeJean: I think my 100 time from my sophomore year was like 11.26 and I got that down to a 10.66 this season. In the long jump, I was at 21’10” my sophomore year and I got that up to 24’2” at the state qualifying meet. Then in the 200, I don’t remember what my time was before, but it was a lot better this year, running a 21.92 as my best time I think.

Q: Leaving Des Moines, did it kind of sink in that was your last high school event?

DeJean: It’s kind of crazy. I don’t think it’s even hit me yet that I won’t get to represent OABCIG again, but it’s definitely been a fun four years. I think we brought this community a lot closer together the last couple years in football and all of the other sports too as we’ve had more and more success. It’s been a heck of a ride here, but obviously it’s time to move on.

Q: With all of your honors this past year, which one would you say stands out the most?

DeJean: I think the All-American Player of the Year was the one I was most surprised about. I didn’t expect that being a small town kid, coming from Odebolt, IA, and being able to win that award or to even be selected as an All-American. That was something I always dreamed of growing up and watching the game. All of the awards are great, but I couldn’t have done any of it without my teammates and coaches helping me. It’s been a fun ride.

Q: Team wise, would you say the biggest accomplishment was repeating as state champions last fall?

DeJean: Yeah, it definitely was, especially the way we had to fight back in the championship game. We hadn’t been down like that at all the past two years during our run, so it was good to see us fight through the adversity we had to go through and come back for a win.

Q: Looking ahead, when do you make the move to Iowa City?

DeJean: I believe it’s June 12 when we move in.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most when you get down there?

DeJean: I’m just looking forward to getting down there and meeting all of my teammates in person because obviously we didn’t get to have an official visit where I could meet all of them and talk to them. Just learning from all the coaches and working my new teammates is what I’m looking forward to the most.

Q: You were able to visit during spring practice. What was it like being there in person now that you’re so close to putting on the uniform yourself?

DeJean: It was great, especially seeing guys like Arland Bruce, Keagan Johnson, and Connor Colby out there practicing knowing that they’re in our class and I’m that much closer to being out there with them. It was also good to see all of the coaches in action. I was watching Coach Parker and just the way he gets after it, I really like the way he coaches.

Q: What have you heard from the coaches since signing day and which coaches do you talk with the most?

DeJean: I talk with Coach Woods and Tyler Barnes the most. just check in on my every once in a while, nothing too big, but they let me know that they’re looking forward to having me down there and I’m looking forward to it as well.

Q: Are you still coming in at safety?

DeJean: Yes, I believe so.

Q: What do you look forward to playing that position?

DeJean: I’m just excited to be able to focus on one position. Obviously in high school I played all around everywhere, so just getting there and getting to learn from Coach Parker and the older guys there and being able to focus on one position is what I’m looking forward to and learning from them.

Q: Is there any part of you that will miss playing offense a little bit?

DeJean: Yeah, I’m definitely going to miss having the ball in my hands, but I know they’ve had a lot of success with high school quarterbacks coming in and playing defensive back. I’m looking forward to getting down there and learning that spot and seeing what happens.

Q: Coming in, have you heard anything as far as playing or redshirting or what would you say is your mindset for this year?

DeJean: They’ve haven’t said anything about redshirting or anything like that. I’m just going to come in and try to learn from the older guys and if I get on the field that’s great and if I don’t, I’ll just sit back and learn and do what I can in practice. I’m going to just work hard and if I get on the field that would be great.

Q: What are you coming in at height and weight wise?

DeJean: I’m 6-1, 200 pounds.

Q: Have you found out what number you are going to wear yet?

DeJean: I have not, no.

Q: Any preference?

DeJean: Not really. #1 would be nice, but I’m really okay with whatever.

Q: In your recruiting class, which guys do you stay in touch with the most?

DeJean: I’m rooming with Jeff Bowie, so I’ve been talking to him a lot. Then Jaden Harrell and Max Llewellyn, I’ve hung out with them a couple time, and I’ve talked to Brody Brecht a few times too. We all have a group chat that we talk in, so I think all of the guys are pretty close and we’re all looking forward to moving in and meeting everybody.

Q: When I asked this question to the other incoming freshmen, your name came up almost every time. Did you kind of take on a leadership role in the class once you were an early commit?

DeJean: Yeah. I wanted to make this class the best it could be so I was texting guys whether they were committed to other schools or still looking because I was trying to get the best guys we could in here so we can make the program the best it can be.

Q: Looking ahead, what do you think the feeling will be like for you the first time you walk out of the tunnel at Kinnick Stadium for a game?

DeJean: It’s going to be crazy. I’ve grown up watching it from the stands and got to watch it from the field on my visits, but I’m sure I’ll get chills coming out to “Back in Black” for the first time. I hope the stadium is packed and they have 100% capacity again so we can get the full effect. I’m definitely looking forward to it.

Q: Looking back at your recruiting, on signing day Tyler Barnes shared a story about going out to watch you play basketball and coming back saying this is a guy that needs an offer. What do you remember about that game and that whole process?

DeJean: It was actually our conference championship game. He was there and a coach from Kansas State was also there. I remember I had a pretty good game and had a few dunks. I had so much adrenaline going because I knew they were there.

Q: After that, Iowa offered and you committed pretty quickly. Were there other schools that came calling later on as you continued to make a name for yourself?

DeJean: Yeah. After I committed, a couple coaches reached out to me from Oklahoma and Oregon. They both contacted me, but it wasn’t anything big because I think they knew I was pretty set on going to Iowa.

Q: When you look back on it, what was it about Iowa that made you so comfortable there?

DeJean: It just feels like home when I’m up there. I visited five times and the coaches are always great to talk to and I’ve grown up an Iowa fan, so that was a big part of it too. Just growing up and watching the program over the years, it was always a dream of mine to play there.

A three-star prospect, DeJean committed to Iowa on March 17, 2020, choosing the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers from North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Illinois State, and Northern Iowa.

As a senior, DeJean finished the season 199/331 passing (60.1%) for 3,447 yards with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also had 131 carries for 1,235 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns on the ground plus 53.5 tackles, two TFL and three interceptions on defense, and three touchdowns on special teams for OABCIG (12-0).

In basketball, DeJean averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game his senior year, earning first team all-state honors for the second consecutive season.

At State Track this past weekend, DeJean placed first in Class 2A in the 100 meter dash, long jump, and 4x100 meter relay, and placed second in the 200 meter dash.

See highlights from DeJean's senior year of football for OABCIG in the video below.