After an improbable rise to the top of Iowa's tight end depth chart last season, the hype continues to build for talented TE DJ Vonnahme.
Vonnahme played in almost every game for the Hawkeyes last season, but was buried on the depth chart behind Addison Ostrenga, Zach Ortwerth, and Hayden Large. After Ostrenga suffered a season-ending injury against Iowa State and Large was also sidelined with injuries, Vonnahme got his chance and made the most of it. Now in his third season with the program, Vonnahme has become a hot topic of conversation and has earned a lot of praise.
BTN's Jake Butt called Vonnahme a potential first-round draft pick
Vonnahme is clearly very talented, and came out of nowhere to lead the Hawkeyes in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season. While it will be harder for him to repeat that this season due to deeper wide receiver and tight end rooms, Vonnahme isn't flying under the radar anymore.
Jake Butt believes that DJ Vonnahme might be a first round pick following this season.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) August 24, 2026
The rise of Vonnahme continues.
There are no guarantees that Vonnahme will leave the program after this season, but if he declares for the NFL Draft, Big Ten Network analyst Jake Butt sees him as a potential first-round pick. Butt was a star tight end for Michigan and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and his assessment of Vonnahme's potential is extremely high praise for the young tight end. Iowa is known as "Tight End U" due to its elite tight end development, and Vonnahme is primed to be the next great Iowa tight end.
Vonnahme was a versatile offensive and defensive amateur player for Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, Iowa, playing quarterback, receiver, tight end, and running back on offense and at safety on defense. He proved early on that he would make an immediate impact for the Hawkeyes, but we drastically underestimated how quickly it would happen. Iowa rarely has underclassmen who make significant impacts because Kirk Ferentz's prefers to develop players in the system and start them later in their careers. Vonnahme is a clear outlier, going from redshirting his true freshman season to leading the team in multiple offensive categories as a redshirt freshman last season.
A tight end leading the offense in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns might sound like a foreign concept, but Iowa utilizes their tight ends better than most programs in the country. That leads to more Iowa tight ends being highly productive at the next level. Even with a much deeper wide receiver and tight end room, there is precedent for Vonnahme to have an even better season this year, and he could lead the receiving corp once again.
Vonnahme has the talent to lead the program in receiving touchdowns again this year
Vonnahme showcased his elite catching and blocking ability during the late stages of the regular season and Iowa's bowl game victory over Vanderbilt last year, and his versatility will pay massive dividends for the offense this season. Tight ends are often known as a quarterback's security blanket because of their big frames and ability to catch the ball in traffic, and Vonnahme exemplifies that and more. Vonnahme has the potential to not only make a jump in his development this season, but also to lead the team in receiving touchdowns.
If Tony Diaz, Evan James, Reece Vander Zee, and the rest of Iowa's talented receiver group have anything to say about it, he won't lead the team in receiving yards again this season, but he is a big target with great hands, and he could easily lead in touchdown receptions this season. With offensive coordinator Tim Lester's revelation that the offense won't utilize quarterback runs as much this season, that opens up the red zone playbook for Vonnahme to do some real damage. It wouldn't be surprising if Vonnahme flirts with double-digit touchdown receptions, leading the team by a wide margin.
Vonnahme could realistically rack up 6-8 touchdown receptions this season, especially with a first-year starting quarterback under center. If whoever ends up being the starting quarterback can simply get him the ball, Iowa's offense will be in great shape.
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