Preparations for the 2026 season have begun with Iowa fully emersed in spring practices.
A new year brings new opportunities for players to showcase their skills and make a push for playing time.
Iowa has 33 new players this season, including 18 commits and 15 transfers. Kirk Ferentz and his staff did WORK in the portal, bringing in multiple talented players from other programs, many of whom should contribute right away.
One of Iowa's transfers has been getting love from everywhere before his first season begins, and if spring practices are any indication of how well a player will perform during the season, fans should be excited about wide receiver Tony Diaz.
Diaz has been torching defenders, catching everything thrown his way
Former University of Texas Rio Grande Valley wide receiver Tony Diaz was a prolific pass-catcher for the Vaqueros last season, and he is starting to turn heads early on in his Hawkeye career.
ESPN's Billy Tucker has already projected Diaz to be a game-changer for the Iowa offense next season, and through the beginning stages of spring practices, he is living up to that hype.
𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄. pic.twitter.com/Sf4lp5br9Q
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) April 7, 2026
In a brief video posted by the official Hawkeye Football page on X, Diaz (No. 14) was shown catching some extremely difficult passes from both Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, and making it look easy.
Diaz "Moss'd" his defender in the first clip and made a great catch through heavy pressure in another, which is getting Iowa fans hyped about what he could do next season.
Diaz compiled 881 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 67 catches, and has all the potential to unlock the Iowa passing game next season.