DJ Vonnahme Joins the Ranks of "Tight End U" After Breakout Freshman Season
Iowa has long had a reputation for churning out NFL-caliber tight ends, and it looks like the next in line has officially arrived. Redshirt freshman DJ Vonnahme wasn’t supposed to be the headline act this season-but football doesn’t always follow the script.
Vonnahme stepped into the spotlight after a string of injuries hit Iowa’s tight end room early in the year. Starter Addison Ostrenga went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3 against Iowa State, and backup Hayden Large missed time as well. That opened the door for Vonnahme, and he didn’t just walk through it-he sprinted.
By season’s end, Vonnahme led the Hawkeyes in receiving yards with 434, a remarkable feat for any tight end, let alone a redshirt freshman who began the year buried on the depth chart. His performance didn’t go unnoticed. The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) named him a Freshman All-American, a nod to just how impactful he was in his debut campaign.
Vonnahme saved some of his best work for the biggest stages. In Iowa’s regular-season finale against Nebraska, he hauled in 91 yards and found the end zone in a 41-16 win.
He followed that up with a monster outing in the bowl game against Vanderbilt, posting 146 receiving yards and another touchdown. That kind of production in high-pressure games is what separates solid contributors from future stars.
He finished the season with 29 catches, 434 yards, and three touchdowns-numbers that speak to both his reliability and explosiveness in the passing game. Those stats also earned him All-Bowl honors from the Associated Press, giving him a little more hardware to take into the offseason.
Looking ahead, Vonnahme is poised to be a cornerstone of Iowa’s offense. With Ostrenga set to return after rehabbing his injury, and Zach Ortwerth also back in the mix, the Hawkeyes are stacked at tight end. Add in young talents like Mason Woods, Thomas Meyer, and Eli Johnson, and this unit is as deep and versatile as any in the Big Ten.
And that’s before you even factor in the additions Iowa made to its wide receiver group via the transfer portal. If the offensive line holds up and the quarterback play is steady, this offense could take a major step forward next season.
Bottom line: Iowa isn’t just maintaining its tradition at tight end-it’s building on it. DJ Vonnahme’s breakout year was more than just a pleasant surprise.
It was a statement. Tight End U has a new name to add to the legacy, and he’s just getting started.