Iowa State Cyclones

Matt Campbell Shares Brutal Injury Update on Iowa State Cyclones Star Jeremiah Cooper

The Iowa State Cyclones defense is going to be without a key contributor.
Kenneth Teape|
Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones came out of their bye week determined to keep their undefeated record intact.

Hosting the Arizona Wildcats at Jack Trice Stadium in Week 5, the idle week looked to do Iowa State some good. They came out firing on all cylinders, going up 22-0 out of the gate and riding that momentum to a dominant 39-14 victory.

Moving to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12, the Cyclones are in a great spot in the standings heading into back-to-back road games. They will be traveling to the Cincinnati Bearcats in Week 6 before taking on the Colorado Buffaloes in Week 7.

Heading on the road and winning football games is already a tall task. But it is even tougher when a team has to do it shorthanded. Unfortunately, that is what Iowa State is going to have to do for the foreseeable future.

Iowa State loses Jeremiah Cooper to season-ending injury

Jeremiah Coope
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Several players exited the game against Arizona with injuries, adding to what was already a lengthy injury report. One of the players who didn’t suit up for the matchup was cornerback Jeremiah Cooper.

In a brutal turn of events, it turns out he won’t be suiting up for the team again this year. Head coach Matt Campbell revealed after Saturday night’s win that their star defensive back will be undergoing surgery on Monday. Cooper will be sidelined for the year as a result.

Despite not being able to get on the field, he is still making an impact. Campbell noted that Cooper remained very involved while on the sidelines, acting as another coach for his teammates to work with.

Jake Brend of Cyclone Fanatic shared that Campbell revealed Cooper will have an extra year of eligibility should he want to return to college football. He is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft should he opt to move on with his football career.

This is a brutal blow for a defense that has been dominant in the early going. It will take a complete team effort to replace one of their most important pieces on that side of the ball. Through four games, Cooper played 191 total snaps.

He earned an overall defensive grade of 69.6 from PFF, which was the ninth-best on the team. His coverage grade of 69.8 is fifth on the season. Cooper has totaled nine tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception. He also added three passes defended as an excellent cover corner.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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