Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa
Size:
Height: 6001
Weight: 224
Arm: 31”
Hand: 9 ½”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-Big Ten (2023) • Permanent team captain
“Jay Higgins is a versatile LB prospect who plays with great instincts and football IQ to make routine plays against both run and pass.”
Strengths:
High football IQ and instincts
A tackling machine with a strong nose for the football
Working downhill toward the line of scrimmage
Physical run stopper
Concerns:
Average athletic ability
Lacks sideline-to-sideline speed
Scheme specific defender
Rigid lateral movements
Film Analysis:
Jay Higgins began his career as a backup for Kirk Ferentz’s defensive front. He assumes the Leo/cash LB role. He is a team captain and leader. He is the “quarterback” of the defense, calling plays and making audibles. Higgins brings strong run defense from the second level and functional pass coverage.
Higgins plays with great instincts, play recognition, and football IQ as a run defender. He reads blocking schemes and backfield action well to track the ball-carrier to their designated run lane. Higgins brings physicality as a downhill run defender. He is a strong short-yardage run stopper, filling run lanes with urgency and power as a tackler.
Higgins uses his hands well to keep climbing OL from latching their hands into his pads. Higgins has a nose for the football and plays with a strong motor. He is a tackling machine who is constantly within range of the ball-carrier to make a play. He is a sound tackler who hits with power and wraps up well.
In coverage, he is most effective in a zone defense. Higgins has good spatial awareness as he drops to his spots. He keeps his head on a swivel looking for and reading route concepts around him. Higgins possesses good zone eyes and discipline to read the eyes of the QB, following them to the intended target. With his motor, Higgins plays until the whistle is blown and pursues the ball with good angles.
Higgins is a functional straight-line athlete. He is not an explosive or fluid defender. His movements laterally when forced to change direction are segmented. It is not a sudden or quick change of direction, as it takes an extra second or two to plant and redirect. The lack of high-end athleticism limits his coverage versatility as an NFL prospect. Higgins is not suited for heavy man coverage—he is a zone-specific defender. He does not have the sideline-to-sideline speed team’s desire for a playmaking LB in the middle of their defense. He is too aggressive to trigger downhill to defend the run—play-action forces false steps toward the line of scrimmage.
Overall, Higgins projects as a scheme-specific rotational NFL linebacker and special teamer. He is best suited working downhill attacking the line of scrimmage to play the run. He is an ideal WILL LB in a 4-3, even-front defense. Higgins can be an adequate starter in the right situation.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 – Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Wisconsin (2023), Purdue (2023), Michigan (2023), Penn State (2023)
