AMES, Iowa – Iowa State defensive back Jeremiah Cooper, wide receiver Jayden Higgins and do-it-all tight end/fullback Stevo Klotz have been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Football team as voted upon by media representatives who cover the league.

Cooper, a First Team All-Big 12 selection a year ago, returns to lead the talented Cyclone secondary. The El Paso, Texas native started 11 games in 2023 and finished second in the Big 12 and sixth nationally with five interceptions. He tallied 45 tackles and ranked fourth nationally in passes defended per game (1.4).

On the offensive side of the ball, Higgins – an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection last season – spearheads an exciting ISU wide receiver room. Higgins made a sizeable impact in his first season as a Cyclone with a team-best 983 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 53 receptions. The South Miami, Fla. native averaged 18.5 yards per catch, the seventh-best single-season average in school history, and was second in the Big 12 averaging 75.6 receiving yards per game.

Klotz, a Second Team All-Big 12 fullback in 2023, returns to the Cyclone offense as one of the league’s best blockers. He paved the way for the Cyclone tailbacks in all 13 games last season, making six starts. The Chaska, Minn. native also showed he has soft hands when the ball gets thrown his way, hauling in seven receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Iowa State, which returns 18 starters from a year ago (nine offensive, nine defensive), was picked sixth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll behind the favorite, Utah, and Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Arizona.

2024 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll

1. Utah (20) - 906

2. Kansas State (19) - 889

3. Oklahoma State (14) - 829

4. Kansas (5) - 772

5. Arizona (3) - 762

6. Iowa State - 661

7. West Virginia - 581

8. UCF - 551

9. Texas Tech - 532

10. TCU - 436

11. Colorado - 400

12. Baylor - 268

13. BYU - 215

14. Cincinnati - 196

15. Houston - 157

16. Arizona State – 141

First-place votes in parenthesis.