Cooper DeJean might have made Mac McClung’s high school mixtape look rather ordinary. Turns out that DeJean was a true playmaker not just on the gridiron but also on the basketball court.
And while that is a bit of a stretch, given that McClung’s highlights from high school were surreal, this flashback to DeJean’s high school days underscores what a special athlete the future NFL defensive back was and is.
DeJean is coming off three seasons at Iowa where he developed into one of the nation’s top defensive back prospects. There is a very strong chance that he is a first-round pick in this month’s NFL draft.
Electric as a cornerback and a punt returner, DeJean had 41 total tackles and five passes defended his senior season. Now, he heads to the NFL draft in a couple of weeks as a consensus top 50 selection.
His playmaker ability was evident on the basketball court for Battle Creek-Ida Grove (Ida Grove, Iowa). Check out these highlights from high school:
Cooper DeJean high school basketball highlights go crazy 🏀
🎥: @CourtsideFilms pic.twitter.com/iSrXhb8az2 https://t.co/NMqatOI3xp
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 8, 2024
(h/t to the 33rd Team, which is a tremendous site covering the NFL)
In high school, De Jean was a four-star recruit and the No. 149 player in the nation according to 247Sports in the 2021 class.
Iowa and Iowa State were his only reported Power Five offers.
