Iowa football: Five reasons Iowa can make a playoff run

Noah Fant/TJ Hockenson

If you know a better tight end duo in the entire country than Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson, I would love to know who this group is because I do not believe it’s possible.

Noah Fant is currently 21st overall in the nation with six receiving touchdowns and tied for first among tight ends. He is a mismatch nightmare that teams cannot keep up with. His performance this season led to him being named to Sporting News Midseason First Team All-American Team.

While Fant has been fantastic in the red zone, sophomore tight end TJ Hockenson has arguably been the better tight end for the Iowa football team. His 424 receiving yards lead the Hawkeyes and is the third highest amount among all tight ends in the nation. Moreover, he is Nate Stanley’s go-to target on third down.

Hockenson has been so outstanding, he was also named to a midseason All-American team.

Against Indiana, both tight ends did such a great job of getting in the mix, they both received the award for John Mackey Tight End of the Week, the first ever time the honor went to two teammates in the same week.

What really makes these two so dangerous though is how Brian Ferentz can use them.

Considering he spent years coaching tight ends for the New England Patriots, Ferentz knows a few tricks to get his dynamic tight ends out in space or in mismatches. Furthermore, he knows how to utilize a two-tight end offense to its fullest potential.

These two are huge mismatches against any team Iowa faces, and if they can get going against a team like Michigan or Ohio State, those teams better watch out.