Iowa football: Top TE transfer will make decision on Hawks next week
By Andrew Wade
The Iowa football team lost two tight ends to the NFL this season, but there could be reinforcements on the way in the form of a transfer.
Anytime you lose two tight ends in the same NFL draft, your depth is going to be a little light at the position. For the Iowa football team, they went from having two All-American tight ends to having two total catches at the tight end position and leaving three relatively inexperienced guys to battle it out over the next few months.
While there is a concern for who could start this year, it’s important to note that two of those three guys in line for reps this season are graduating this year which means the Iowa football team could be a similar position next year.
It looks like reinforcements could be on the way, however.
The Iowa football team isn’t known to dabble in the transfer market too often, but they’ve been connected with former Rutgers tight end Travis Vokolek since he entered the transfer portal. Since then, it’s been quiet on Vokolek’s recruiting front, but it sounds like he will be making a decision next week between his top three teams, and the Hawkeyes are one of those three teams.
According to Derek Young from Rivals, the former three-star tight end prospect from Springfield, Missouri is deciding between Nebraska, Kansas State, and Iowa.
In two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, Vokolek has played in 19 games with 9 starts and has somehow managed to reel in 17 catches for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns despite Rutgers’ horrendous quarterback play.
Last season, as a true sophomore, Vokolek finished fourth on the team in receptions and tied for first in touchdown receptions.
At 6’6” and 250 pounds, Vokolek would be a welcomed addition to the Iowa football team. He’s got the size to be a great in-line blocker and obviously has the chops to be a receiving threat in the Iowa football team’s offense. If you can catch 16 balls in a season at Rutgers, you can certainly do much more damage in an offense that is designed around the tight end.
As far as where he will decide. If he’s looking for proximity, Kansas State makes the most sense given it’s a four-hour drive, but if he is ultimately looking for a chance to go the NFL, there is no better option than Tight End University.