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When you think of the Iowa football program during the Kirk Ferentz era, one of the first things that comes to mind is the lineage of fantastic tight ends.
From Dallas Clark to George Kittle to Sam LaPorta, numerous former Hawkeyes have seen major success in the NFL after departing Iowa City. After Luke Lachey went off to the NFL earlier this year, Iowa has been searching for that next great tight end to come out of the program. And it looks like the 2025 season might have unveiled that answer.
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Redshirt freshman DJ Vonnahme had an excellent back half of the season, ending up as Iowa's leading receiver with 22 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It looks like Vonnahme has a great chance to be the next great tight end at Iowa. But he's not the only freshman to catch the eye and attention of the coaching staff.
Bowl prep is a fantastic time for younger players to get some added reps and experience before the next season starts, and the Hawkeyes are taking advantage of this time to get one of their best recruits in the 2025 class some really good experience. According to Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register, Thomas Meyer has been working with the starting offense this week down in Tampa Bay.
Meyer was a four-star recruit in Iowa's 2025 class, according to 247Sports. He was the second-best recruit in the class, behind five-star edge Iose Epenesa, and was the 143rd-best prospect in the entire class. The 6-foot-4, 232-pound tight end from Clear Lake, Iowa, didn't accumulate any stats this season, but the coaching staff is high on his potential.
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Meyer getting reps with the starters in practice isn't an indication that he'll see a huge uptick in playing time, but with his redshirt status secure, the Hawkeyes may get him on the field to see what he can do. Vonnahme will get the start, and Hayden Large will be in for run packages, but don't be surprised if Meyer finds his way onto the field for some passing downs. He's a talented player who could be a huge part of Iowa's offense in the future, maybe even as soon as next season.
With Vonnahme and Meyer in the fold, along with Addison Ostrenga returning, the 2026 tight end room looks like a huge strength for Iowa already. After a difficult start to the 2025 season for that room, tight end university looks like it's opening its doors once again.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football utilizing highly-touted freshman TE in bowl prep
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