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Iowa football: Ranking the top five tight ends in Kirk Ferentz’s tenure

By Andrew Wade

Iowa tight end Scott Chandler rushes upfield with a pass against Florida in the 2006 Outback Bowl January 2 in Tampa. Florida defeated Iowa 31 - 24. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Iowa tight end Scott Chandler rushes upfield with a pass against Florida in the 2006 Outback Bowl January 2 in Tampa. Florida defeated Iowa 31 - 24. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 06: Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes scores a touchdown against Blake Cashman #36 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third quarter of the game on October 6, 2018 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Iowa defeated Minnesota 48-31. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 06: Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes scores a touchdown against Blake Cashman #36 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third quarter of the game on October 6, 2018 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Iowa defeated Minnesota 48-31. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

2. Noah Fant

Imagine the type of statistical production Fant would have had if he actually played the majority of the offensive snaps. Unfortunately, we will never know as he quickly declared for the NFL Draft at the conclusion of Iowa’s regular season.

I absolutely wish him the best, but selfishly I would have loved to see him play another season in the black and gold. His athleticism at the tight end position is truly revolutionary and unmatched by any Hawkeye tight end ever. It’s not wonder that he is one of the most coveted tight end prospects in recent history, and he is projected to be a high first round pick.

He finished his Iowa football career with a modest 78 catches and 1,082 yards good for 36th and 33rd all-time respectively. What stands out, however, is his goal line production. His 19 touchdowns are the best ever in a career for a tight end at Iowa and fourth best all time. For context purposes, it’s important to realize that the three guys in front of him (Marvin McNutt, Danan Hughes, and Tim Dwight) all played in much more games than Fant did too.

While Hockenson received much of the buzz this season and used that as a catalyst to reach number three, Fant’s body of work over two seasons and what he brought to the position is what got him the number two spot.

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