Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know all about Caitlin Clark and how she dominated headlines throughout her final season as the unquestioned face of women’s basketball.
You don’t have to watch or even appreciate women’s basketball to understand just how big of a star Clark has become.
You may love the attention she’s been getting. You may hate it. But there’s a pretty good chance you at least know about it.
There’s another major athlete from Iowa who is very famous and acclaimed in his own right.
That of course is star cornerback Cooper DeJean who has dominated Big Ten football fields over the past few seasons, routinely showcasing his dominant playmaking abilities for the Hawkeyes.
Those who follow college football know just how much of a freak DeJean is.
Whether he’s patrolling Iowa’s secondary or returning punts to the house, DeJean is certainly one of the most gifted athletes in this entire NFL draft class.
He likely isn’t the tallest guy in every room he steps foot in, but if DeJean wanted to pursue a serious basketball career, he certainly could have.
Besides starring in football and track, DeJean dominated in basketball throughout his high school career, earning numerous titles and accolades.
His highlight reel is no joke to say the least…
But when you think of Iowa and basketball, you think of Clark.
She may have moved onto the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, but the historic legacy she left on Iowa will live forever.
Having said that, let’s cut to the chase and dissect the question that everybody wants to know: Who would win in a one-on-one battle between Clark and DeJean???
“I think I could win,” DeJean confidently told CBS Sports in a recent interview.
“She’d definitely score on me, for sure, but I think I could pull if off,” he added. “It would be close, though … She can shoot from anywhere, I think.”
She sure can. But it’s hard to imagine Clark being able to keep up with DeJean in a one-on-one battle.
While smaller programs eyed him as a potential quarterback, DeJean ended up staying in-state and playing for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes.
Two first-team Big Ten honors later, and DeJean is officially on his way to the NFL.
DeJean brings high-IQ playmaking ability to the secondary. He also brings a ton of versatility as he’s not only capable of playing high-level cornerback, but always ball-hawking safety as well.
“Really, wherever the team needs me, wherever they see me at, wherever they think I can impact the game the most,” DeJean stated previously.
“Whatever position that is, I’m willing to do that. Obviously, I played corner most of my college career, but I feel like there’s multiple positions in a defense that I can play. I just want to trust the coaches that have been doing it for a long time and try to make an impact wherever they put me.”
What are your thoughts on DeJean?
How do you think he’ll translate to the NFL?
More importantly, who do you think would win in a game of one-on-one: DeJean or Clark???