Iowa junior defensive back Cooper DeJean suffered a lower-leg injury in practice and will miss the remainder of the season, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz announced on Wednesday.
DeJean has been pivotal to the Hawkeyes' success on defense and special teams over the past several seasons, and his absence will be a big blow for Iowa (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten), a team on the cusp of winning the Big Ten West if it can beat Illinois at home on Saturday.
"This is truly heartbreaking for Cooper," Ferentz said in statement. "He has played extremely well and is a real playmaker on our team. We will all support Cooper during his recovery, which will continue into the new year.
"This has been a season filled with challenges for our team. I am proud of how our players have responded with tremendous grit and determination."
Through 10 games this season, he has 41 tackles (26 solo) with two tackles for loss, five passes defensed and two interceptions.
DeJean's three interception returns for touchdowns in 2022 set a program single-season record.
His 70-yard punt return for a touchdown helped spark Iowa to a 26-16 victory over Michigan State on Sept. 30, the night quarterback Cade McNamara was lost for the season to a torn ACL.
The Hawkeyes' defense ranks eighth in the FBS in total defense (281.5 YPG) and is third nationally in scoring defense (12.3 PPG).
DeJean is a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bednarik Award.