Higgins Drafted By Houston Texans In Second Round

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State All-American wide receiver Jayden Higgins has been picked by the Houston Texans with the No. 34 pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Higgins had one of the best seasons in program history on his way to becoming the third Cyclone wide receiver to earn All-America honors in the last quarter century. He played two seasons at Iowa State after transferring from FCS Eastern Kentucky, helping the Cyclones go 18-9 during his time in Ames, including a school-record 11-3 mark in 2024.

The 6-4 pass catcher finished the season with 87 receptions, the second-most in school history, for 1,183 yards and nine touchdown catches. He was 10^th nationally in receiving yards, 14^th in receptions per game (6.7) and 20^th in receiving TDs. Higgins finished the season with 17 receptions of 20-plus yards and topped 100 yards in five games.

He was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection by the league's coaches.

A South Miami, Florida, native, Higgins broke Iowa State's school record with a TD reception in seven-straight games, a streak that spanned the final two games of 2023 and the first five games of 2024 and was the nation's longest active streak at the time.

Higgins' best game as a Cyclone came in the 2023 Liberty Bowl against Memphis when he finished with nine receptions for 214 yards. He had a career-high 10 receptions against Texas Tech and recorded seven or more catches in seven of 13 games in 2024.

In his two seasons as a Cyclone, Higgins finished with 140 receptions (10^th all-time), 2,166 yards (7^th) and 15 touchdowns (T-6^th). His eight career 100-yard receiving games are tied for the third-most in school history.

In his four-year college career at EKU and ISU, he accumulated 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Higgins was a participant at the Reese's Senior Bowl.

2025 Iowa State NFL Draft Picks
Jayden Higgins – Houston Texans – 2nd Round – Pick 34

Cyclone Draft Notes
- This is Iowa State's first player picked in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Higgins is the fourth-highest drafted Cyclone in school history behind only George Amundson (No. 14, 1973), Will McDonald (No. 15, 2023) and Mike Stensrud (No. 31, 1979).
- Higgins is the second Cyclone to be selected by the Houston Texans…WR Xavier Hutchinson was the last Cyclone selected by the Texans (2023 – No. 205 – 6th round).
- Higgins is the 13th Cyclone drafted under Matt Campbell in nine drafts.
- This is the third wide receiver picked since Campbell's arrival in 2016 … prior to Campbell's tenure ISU hadn't had a wide receiver picked since 1985.
- Higgins joins former Cyclone Hutchinson on the Texans' roster.

Great pick @HoustonTexans 🫡 pic.twitter.com/YLeR3LKpOG
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) April 25, 2025

Players Mentioned

Jayden Higgins

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Iowa State University Athletics