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Iowa football: 3 best tight ends Hawks will face in 2019

By Ryan Sikes

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Tight end Jake Ferguson #84 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs up the field in the second half between defensive backs Matt Hankins #8 and Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Tight end Jake Ferguson #84 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs up the field in the second half between defensive backs Matt Hankins #8 and Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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Kirk Ferentz’ 2019 Iowa football squad will be facing some tough tight ends this season. Who are the top 3 the Hawkeyes will see?

Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football team should be no stranger to good tight ends after a string of really good ones have come through the program. Guys like Tony Moeaki, George Kittle, Allen Reisner, T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant have all put up eye-popping numbers during their time in Iowa City.

On the flip side of things, they have also faced some really good tight ends. Troy Fumagalli (Wisconsin), Maxx Williams (Minnesota), and Mike Gesicki (Penn State) have all recently given Iowa fits. Looking ahead to this season, Iowa will have their hands full with a few guys throughout their schedule. Let’s look at the three best tight ends that the Iowa football team will see in 2019.

3. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin

The hometown kid from Madison came to the Wisconsin football program as a skinny 6-5, 209-pound tight end prospect and redshirted his freshman season to bulk up. He’s up to 240 now and played in all 13 games last season in a run-first offense for the Badgers, hauling 36 receptions for 456 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Ferguson had himself a game against the Hawkeyes last season, catching 4 passes for 58 yards and a score. He was a favorite target for Alex Hornibrook and it should be no different for Jack Coan this season. Ferguson’s production took a hit with Coan as the starter but I would expect that to change as he gets acclimated to being a full-time starter in 2019.

2. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue

Hopkins has gotten better every year in the Boilermakers offense. The senior from Nashville started in 4 games last season but saw action in all 13. He hauled in 34 receptions for 583 yards and 2 touchdowns. His touchdown total dropped from his freshman and sophomore seasons but he averaged a team-high 17.1 yards-per-reception. That’s amazing considering they have Rondale Moore on that team.

Hopkins should get more targets from Elijah Sindelar in a Purdue offense that lost both Isaac Zico and Terry Wright. Iowa held him mostly in check last season as he caught just one ball but it went for 57 yards. They’ll have to keep him out of the endzone in 2019.

1. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State

Freiermuth was terrific for the Nittany Lion offense which needed a new go-to target after Saquon Barkley moved onto the NFL. The true freshman from Merrimac, Massachusetts was second in the nation for touchdowns by a tight end with eight scores. Freiermuth was one of three freshmen in program history to have two touchdown receptions in a game and he did that feat four times in 2018.

Next. 3 best wide receivers Hawks will face in 2019. dark

He only hauled in 26 receptions for 368 yards and 8 touchdowns but he made every catch count. Iowa hasn’t seen Freiermuth before but he is the best tight end they will this season in a Penn State offense that is breaking in a new quarterback for the first time in three years. Kirk Ferentz and Iowa football team’s defense will need to account for Freiermuth’s presence in the annual ANF stripe-out game.

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