College football injury report 2023: Week 12 edition
By John Strong
![Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/439b4c40e4e82b6ab0a127f29e81201edcc3ed5bb50fa14d8f5dfe8f265267fc.jpg)
Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Iowa loses a key part of their team and, more specifically, their defense. Iowa star cornerback and punt returner Cooper DeJean could miss the rest of the season after suffering a lower-leg injury during practice.
DeJean has been a massive piece of one of the best-scoring defenses in the country. Iowa will miss him on defense and on special teams. DeJean has 41 tackles, five pass deflections, and two interceptions this season. He had five interceptions last season, with three of them turning into touchdowns. On his punt returns, he had 21 returns for 241 yards and a touchdown.
It is hard to replace a player like DeJean who can do multiple things to make your team better, but you would have to imagine a player like Jermari Harris or Deshaun Lee would take over DeJean’s spot. But at the end of the day, Iowa still has a great defense with or without DeJean, but him not being there does hurt.