Iowa’s tight end pipeline keeps rolling, and DJ Vonnahme is the latest name pushing his way into the conversation.
Over the last decade, no program in the country has been better at turning tight ends into pros than Iowa. The list speaks for itself: George Kittle, Noah Fant, T.J.
Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, and Luke Lachey have all come through the Hawkeyes’ system and moved on to NFL careers. Now, after a breakout 2025 season, Vonnahme looks like the next one in line.
Pro Football Focus put that rise into context when it released its 10 highest-graded returning Big Ten tight ends. Vonnahme checked in at No. 6 on the list after earning a 68.0 grade last season.
What makes that ranking stand out is how quickly he climbed into the spotlight. Vonnahme finished as Iowa’s leading receiver even though he didn’t really get going until the middle of the year. Once he did, he showed the kind of traits that make Iowa tight ends dangerous: sharp route running and real juice after the catch.
His biggest flash came in the ReliaQuest Bowl, when he went off for seven catches and 146 yards against Vanderbilt.
With a new quarterback set to take over, Iowa is going to lean on Vonnahme as a steady target for whoever wins the job. If last season’s film is any guide, he’s ready for that role. And if that keeps up, the Hawkeyes may be sending another tight end to the NFL sooner than expected.
In Other News...
Former Iowa QB Mark Gronowski Just Got Another NFL Chance
Mark Gronowskis path to the NFL has already had one detour, but the former Iowa and South Dakota State quarterback is getting another shot to keep it moving. Miami brought him in on a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent in April, betting on a player whose college rsum is hard to ignore: the winningest quarterback in Division I history, two FCS national titles and the 2023 Walter Payton Award.
The Dolphins waived Gronowski on Aug. 7, a move that briefly threatened to stall his first summer in a pro quarterback room. But Miami now intends to bring him back, and the timing should let him resume practicing before the Aug. 22 preseason game against the Giants, keeping his chance alive to stay in the mix as camp continues. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Camp Depth Is Already Being Tested In A Brutal Way
Fall camp had barely settled in before Iowas depth was already getting pushed around. Kirk Ferentz said defensive back Kyler Gerardy and receiver Lance Beeghley have suffered significant injuries, a tough early hit for a roster that is still trying to sort out its back-end depth and find reliable bodies at several spots. Gerardy saw action in four games last season, while Beeghley arrived as a transfer from SMU hoping for a fresh start after not getting game action there.
The larger concern is how quickly the injury list can start to shape the competition tree before the season even begins. Iowa also has transfer safety Tyler Brown working through a muscle strain, which only adds to the sense that camp reps are becoming precious in a hurry. For a program that values accumulation of dependable depth as much as almost anything, this is the kind of early attrition that forces other players into bigger roles before anyone planned on it. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Latest Roster Update Leaves Two Young Hawkeyes In Limbo
Iowas roster picture for 2026 took a small but notable hit when Kirk Ferentz confirmed that Terrence Smith and Ben Kueter are not currently listed with the football team. For a program that has long valued versatility and development, the status of two young players with upside naturally draws attention, especially as the Hawkeyes continue sorting out depth and long-term plans on both sides of the ball.
Kueters path is already shifting after hip surgery cost him the 2025 football season, and he is now turning his full focus to wrestling. Smith, meanwhile, has enrolled at Iowa Western while working his way back from a health issue, leaving Iowa to monitor where things stand next. For a couple of promising names who once looked like part of the programs future, the next chapter remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]