Brother of Iowa Legendary CB Commits to Iowa

With basketball season in full swing for both the men's and women's Iowa Hawkeyes teams, the black and gold football program has taken a temporary backseat following the conclusion of their regular season and prior to their duel in the ReliaQuest Bowl against the No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores.

Though until head coach Kirk Ferentz travels to Tampa Bay to take on the team from Nashville, they'll have to spell the publicity drought with tidbits and news from other angles. Thankfully, in a move that would've been a major note at any point during this past season, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have landed a commitment from a three-star tight end with major ties to Iowa City.

Jaxx DeJean, brother of Philadelphia Eagles (and Super Bowl Champion) cornerback Cooper DeJean, has officially joined the Hawkeyes' class of 2027. Having held offers from the likes of Michigan, Kansas State and other such programs of similar prestige, the signee represents a sizable recruiting win for Iowa on the heels of yet another winning season.

The Family Business

It helps that DeJean comes from a legendary family name with a special meaning in Kinnick Stadium, too. A family business in the black and gold, if there ever were one.

"COMMITTED!!!" exclaimed DeJean in a late-night post on X (Twitter) that quickly amassed like totals into the thousands.

COMMITTED!!! 🏠 🐤 pic.twitter.com/boj1ZiGmT2
— Jaxx (@Jaxxdejean35) December 22, 2025

With replies full of Hawkeyes fans in jubilation, the football program in Iowa City may have already landed the biggest Hawkeye-related headline of the week before it really even gets started.

"Tight End U"

At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, DeJean is a similar prospect to his fan-favorite brother, only on the opposite side of the ball. His teaming up with HC Ferentz and the Hawkeyes, given his position, makes the commitment an even bigger deal; given the program's reputation for NFL-bound TE's, DeJean may be on a fast-track towards a career at the next level, too.

Sep 16, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) returns a punt as Western Michigan Broncos linebacker Nate Norris (39) pursues during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In the meantime, the TE joins an increasingly impressive class in Iowa City built for two seasons from now. For as much as has been said about Ferentz's steady inability to beat ranked teams at the Hawkeyes' helm, his apparent equal ability to string together competitve roster in the B1G renders him the sort of rare, longtime leader that a program is lucky to hang onto.

As the current roster prepares for their final game of this season, Hawkeyes fans can rest easy knowing that, regardless of how that one pans out, teams of the future are already being proofed for high-level competition.

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