The Iowa Hawkeyes received some devastating news on Tuesday afternoon.
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz announced that senior tight end Addison Ostrenga suffered an Achilles injury and will miss the remainder of the season.
Ostrenga suffered the injury after a hard hit in the first quarter and was seen being helped off the field, and was in a lot of pain.
Everyone feared it was a bad injury, and on Tuesday, Ferentz confirmed those rumors. Ostrenga already had surgery to repair his Achilles injury on Monday.
Ostrenga being out hinders an already subpar passing game, but here are a few players Iowa can turn to in his absence.
Zach Ortwerth (junior)
Most teams do not have the luxury of losing their starting tight end and having a player who was nominated to the preseason Mackey Award watchlist waiting in the wings.
Junior tight end Zach Ortwerth is a talented player who was a backup in title only. He has the same skills as Ostrenga and is a better blocker in the run game.
The St. Louis, Missouri, native has played sparingly during his short Iowa career, but he does have 13 catches for 192 yards in 23 games for the Hawkeyes.
With Ostrenga out for the rest of the season, Ortwerth should see a bulk of the snaps at the starting tight end position.
Hayden Large (graduate)
Iowa tight end Hayden Large began his career at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, before transferring to the University of Iowa program before the 2023 season.
The Hawkeyes have used him primarily as a fullback since he joined the squad, but he was a capable pass catcher at Dordt.
During his career with Defenders, Large accumulated 950 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
With Ostrenga out, Large can provide a safety net for quarterback Mark Gronowski to help him and the Iowa passing attack find their footing.
DJ Vonnahme (redshirt freshman)
Outside of Large, Ortwerth, and Ostrenga, the Hawkeyes have five freshmen tight ends who have played little to none in a Hawkeye uniform.
One of those players, DJ Vonnahme, has the potential to be a deep threat for the Hawkeyes with Ostrenga sidelined.
Vonnahme redshirted last season, but does have a year of experience in the Iowa program under his belt.
He got into the Iowa game against Iowa State and had one catch for six yards.
Standing at six-foot-four, Vonnahme presents Gronowski with a big target, and if he can make a few plays for the Iowa offense, his stock could shoot up.
Iowa loves using multiple tight ends in running anf passing plays, and Vonnahme has the potential to give Iowa a spark as the second or third tight end.
The Hawkeye offense suffered a huge blow when Ostrenga went down, but this trio of talented tight ends should provide stability for Iowa this season.