The Iowa football program got some HUGE news regarding the status of an injured tight end.
Starting tight end Addison Ostrenga was injured during the September 6, 2025, loss to Iowa State in Ames, adding another layer of heartbreak for Iowa fans.
It was later revealed that he tore his Achilles tendon, and would miss the rest of the season.
After Ostrenga went down, Zach Ortwerth and Hayden Large stepped in to fill the void, but it was redshirt freshman DJ Vonnahme who eventually stole the show.
With Large now in the NFL, the program returned Ortwerth, Vonnahme, and has a talented trio of redshirt freshmen tight ends in Mason Woods, Eli Johnson, and Thomas Meyer.
The group is absolutely loaded, and it just got even better.
Kirk Ferentz announced Ostrenga will be fully cleared in June
Iowa's tight end group has the potential to be not only one of the deepest groups on the offense, but also of the entire team, and adding Ostrenga back into the mix definitely helps that.
Iowa tight end Addison Ostrenga expected to be fully cleared in June after suffering season-ending Achilles tendon injury in 2025 https://t.co/u1yEs1kIQ5
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) May 6, 2026
During a stop at a Polk County I-Club event, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz announced that Ostrenga will be fully cleared for all activities in June.
Ferentz noted that Ostrenga hasn't done anything in pads while rehabbing, but he is very encouraged by the process, and there haven't been any setbacks.
Ostrenga has been limited by injuries over the past two seasons, and has tallied 48 catches for 320 yards and three touchdowns in he career.
Ostrenga adds another weapon for whoever the starting QB ends up being
The Hawkeyes have an interesting quarterback battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, and nothing was decided during the spring and probably won't be anytime soon.
Each QB received equal reps with the starters throughout the spring, but regardless of who wins the job, Ostrenga gives them another weapon on the outside.
After a breakout season last year for DJ Vonnahme, he should be the starting tight end heading into next season. With Ostrenga back in the mix, he could easily line up as the No. 2 tight end with Ortwerth as the No. 3.
The room is extremely deep, and even with Ortwerth, Ostrenga, and Vonnahme as the likely top three, there is no doubt that one or more of Eli Johnson, Mason Woods, Zach Burt, or Thomas Meyer will make an impact this season.
If Ostrenga is fully healthy in the summer into the start of the season, he will likely be near the top of the depth chart, but if he suffers a setback or isn't fully back to form, the tight end group is still in great shape.
The likely depth chart is Vonnahme, Ostrenga, and Orthwerth, with Meyer or Johnson occupying the fourth spot.
Each player adds a different element to the squad, with Vonnahme as the big-play guy, Ostrenga as a solid pass-catcher and effective blocker, and Ortwerth as the more blocking tight end.
This group has very few flaws, and tight ends coach Abdul Hodge has a wealth of resources to work with heading into the 2026 season.
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