section_path: Early life
section_name: Early life
paragraph_text: Early life
  
  DeJean grew up in Odebolt, Iowa, a farming town of approximately 920 people, and attended OA-BCIG, a consolidated school in Ida Grove, Iowa. He played quarterback and defensive back in high school, and holds numerous school records. As a senior, he passed for 3,447 yards with 35 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,235 yards and 24 touchdowns. DeJean was the 2021 All-American Bowl Adidas Player of the Year.
  
  In the 2020 Iowa state championship game, DeJean made several impactful plays, as OABCIG defeated Van Meter. Within a two-minute span, he blocked an extra point, scored the game-tying touchdown on a 4-yard run, and, following a Van Meter fumble on the ensuing kickoff, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 19-yard run. The game was broadcast in local movie theaters and establishments across the five rural towns that feed into OABCIG High School (Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek, Sac, and Ida Grove).
  
  In high school, DeJean played basketball and baseball and ran track. On the basketball court, he scored 1,832 career points, placing him just behind NFL tight end T.J. Hockenson —who played football at Iowa —and 55 points ahead of first-team Parade All-American and NBA player Harrison Barnes on the state's all-time scoring list. Additionally, his 218 career steals secured him a spot among the state's all-time leaders, eight ahead of McDonald's All-American Marcus Paige.
  
  In track and field, DeJean recorded the fastest 100 meters of any runner in the state during his senior year and graduated with the sixth best long jump in state history (24–02).
  
  Despite his athletic achievements and four-star recruit status, DeJean received limited scholarship offers coming out of high school. Ultimately, he chose to play defense at Iowa over playing quarterback at South Dakota State.
  
  DeJean grew up in Odebolt, Iowa, a farming town of approximately 920 people, and attended OA-BCIG, a consolidated school in Ida Grove, Iowa. He played quarterback and defensive back in high school, and holds numerous school records. As a senior, he passed for 3,447 yards with 35 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,235 yards and 24 touchdowns. DeJean was the 2021 All-American Bowl Adidas Player of the Year.
  
  In the 2020 Iowa state championship game, DeJean made several impactful plays, as OABCIG defeated Van Meter. Within a two-minute span, he blocked an extra point, scored the game-tying touchdown on a 4-yard run, and, following a Van Meter fumble on the ensuing kickoff, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 19-yard run. The game was broadcast in local movie theaters and establishments across the five rural towns that feed into OABCIG High School (Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek, Sac, and Ida Grove).
  
  In high school, DeJean played basketball and baseball and ran track. On the basketball court, he scored 1,832 career points, placing him just behind NFL tight end T.J. Hockenson —who played football at Iowa —and 55 points ahead of first-team Parade All-American and NBA player Harrison Barnes on the state's all-time scoring list. Additionally, his 218 career steals secured him a spot among the state's all-time leaders, eight ahead of McDonald's All-American Marcus Paige.
  
  In track and field, DeJean recorded the fastest 100 meters of any runner in the state during his senior year and graduated with the sixth best long jump in state history (24–02).
  
  Despite his athletic achievements and four-star recruit status, DeJean received limited scholarship offers coming out of high school. Ultimately, he chose to play defense at Iowa over playing quarterback at South Dakota State.