Undrafted and undeterred. Former Hawkeye Jay Higgins took advantage of his opportunity and made the most of it.
In one of the best stories of the preseason, PFF ranked Higgins as the highest graded rookie linebacker (90.9).
Every Hawkeye football fan knows how hard Higgins worked while he was at Iowa, sitting behind other NFL linebackers until he finally got his chance.
While Jack Campbell was anchoring the Iowa defense, Higgins waited for his turn. He did not transfer or complain; he put in the work to become one of the most productive linebackers in the country.
During his career at Iowa, Higgins accumulated 341 total tackles (157 solo, 184 assisted), 14 passes defended, nine pass breakups, five interceptions, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles in 58 games (29 starts).
Despite his high level of production, Higgins went undrafted, leaving fans and the Ravens' coaching staff baffled.
Baltimore's defensive coordinator, Zach Orr, was asked about Higgins following a preseason practice, and he stated he has no idea how he went undrafted.
Orr went onto say he believes Higgins can play in the league for a long time. Following the August 26 roster cuts, Higgins will get the chance to prove that Orr was correct.
Undrafted. Undeterred.
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 27, 2025
The moment @_jhigg dreams became reality.
🎥 @Ravens#NFLHawks https://t.co/lPl02PYzoz pic.twitter.com/3MPCThng7F
The Ravens released a video showing the moment that Higgins was first told he made the roster. His emotions poured out as he could not believe it was possible that an undrafted player would make the squad.
As Higgins was overcome with emotion, he knew it would be a long shot for him to make the roster because the Ravens' organization is full of talented players. He said over and over again that he did not think it was real.
The most emotional part of the video came when Jay called his dad and told him he made the team. You could hear his dad crying over the phone, and he told him he would have to call him back so he could process what just happened.
Hawkeye fans nationwide are thrilled that Jay Higgins has been given a chance to play in the NFL, and we will cheer for him every step of the way.