Iowa football 2025 season positional preview: Tight ends
From CJ Fiedorowicz to Tony Moeaki to George Kittle to Sam LaPorta, Iowa football has consistently produced extremely talented tight ends who tend to have success at the next level. It's a big reason why many fans usually don't panic when a big name leaves because there's built-in trust that the replacement will be just as good, if not better. The Hawkeyes will be starting a new tight end this year, but one who has plenty of experience in the system.
This is the fourth part of my Iowa football positional previews, where I dive deep into each position group on the roster and discuss the big names and under-the-radar players who could have big roles this season. We've gone over the other skill position groups and the quarterback room so far, leading us to the tight ends today. Do the Hawkeyes have another star tight end on the roster? Let's take a deep dive into the 2025 tight end room.
Starter: Addison Ostrenga
2024 Stats: 15 receptions, 114 yards, one TD
Injuries limited Ostrenga to eight games in 2024, which, along with below-average quarterback play, led to his stats not standing out. The 6-foot-4, 248-pound tight end out of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was the primary backup to Luke Lachey last season, who also dealt with injuries. Ostrenga is familiar with Tim Lester's system and has the size you love from a tight end who can stretch the field vertically.
The key for Ostrenga to have success in 2025 will be his ability to block. That's been a trait that some of the best tight ends in Hawkeye history have had. If you're not a willing blocker, Kirk Ferentz will keep you off the field. That'll be very important for Ostrenga this season. As long as he's a willing blocker, he should get rewarded with targets and receptions, and his size makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches. Hawkeye fans should be excited to watch Ostrenga in 2025.
Projected backup: Zach Ortwerth
2024 stats: 11 receptions, 133 yards
Zach Ortwerth joins Ostrenga as the only two tight ends on the roster who aren't redshirt or true freshmen. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior has a similar size to Ostrenga and got some experience in 2024, leading to him being my projected backup at the tight end position. He's had a merchant for being on the receiving end of some long receptions in his young career, with catches of 54, 52, and 31 yards on his ledger. Those three receptions account for 25% of his career catches.
While Ortwerth has shown he can make the big play, his playing time will be predicated on his ability to do the small things right. He'll need to run-block, help out in pass protection, and take what the defense is giving him, even if it's just a five-yard curl. If Ortwerth can do those routine things regularly, he'll be a big part of an Iowa offense looking to take another step forward.
Other TE options
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
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