Darian Cotton

Position:
Defensive Back
Height:
5-10
Weight:
184
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
High School:
Mount Pleasant

Awards and Honors
Ennis Haywood Consideration Award (2015)
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (2011, 2012)

2015
Played in all 12 games, starting four … recorded 34 tackles and 2.5 TFL …second on the team in forced fumbles with two … also had two pass breakups … had a season-high five tackles vs. Toledo, TCU, Kansas State and West Virginia … recovered a fumble vs. UNI and Iowa … ended career with 64 tackles, 4.0 TFL and two forced fumbles.

2014
Played in all 12 games, registering 27 tackles and 1.5 TFL … started the final two games … tallied six tackles vs. Oklahoma State … posted a career-high seven tackles vs. TCU.

2013
Played in 11 games, primarily on special teams … tallied three tackles.

2012
Played in seven games, including the final six of the season ... named ISU's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

2011
Redshirted first season at Iowa State … named Iowa State’s Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year.

High School
Three-star prospect ... ranked as the fifth-best recruit in the state of Iowa by Rivals.com ... three-year letterwinner at Mount Pleasant ... Des Moines Register Class 3A second-team defense honoree ... Iowa Newspaper Association first-team All-State member ... started all 10 games for Mount Pleasant, collecting 910 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns ... also contributed on defense with 32 tackles and a fumble recovery ... second-team all-state by the Iowa Newspaper Association and third-team Class 3A all-state by the Des Moines Register as a junior ... as a junior, ran for 643 yards and seven touchdowns ... on defense, had 57 tackles and two interceptions, taking one back for a touchdown ... also served as team's kickoff returner, taking two kicks for touchdowns ... all-district in 2008 as a sophomore ... as a sophomore, collected 937 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns ... also had 56 tackles and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown ... coached by Bob Jensen ... also competed in basketball and track and field for Mount Pleasant.

Personal
Born July 19, 1992 ... son of Marshall and Cindy Cotton ... liberal studies major ... father played football at Iowa (1983-87) and brother Jordan played wide receiver at Iowa.