Jordan Hansen
One of the most important positions by far in the Iowa offense is tight end.
Eight tight ends from the school have been drafted into the NFL, and a number of others carved out a career for themselves as undrafted free agents. There’s a reason Iowa is sometimes jokingly called “Tight End U,” and Hawkeye senior George Kittle looks like he’ll add to that legacy.
Standing at 6-4 and nearly 250 pounds, he is massive. He will start for Iowa this year and probably end up becoming one of quarterback C.J. Beathard’s favorite targets.
“He’s got a tremendous attitude. Just worked extremely hard, and we’ve seen him, I think, take really positive steps with every segment of the calendar,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “You want to see them develop and continue to improve. That’s where his thoughts are, where his efforts have been.”
Kittle hauled in 20 catches for 290 yards and led the team with 6 receiving touchdowns last season. Iowa’s roster is devoid of much experience at wide receiver, which means the team will need him to improve on those numbers.
After all, the Hawkeyes need to move the ball, and considering Matt VandeBerg is Iowa’s only established receiving threat, it will become a necessity.
However, it’s not his only duty.
“As a tight end, I got to block, catch the ball, and keep my back yard clean,” Kittle said. “I have to teach my tight ends the right way to do things, and my role is whatever the coach and team needs me to be.”
The Hawkeyes will likely play some younger players at tight end this year, especially with the recent injury to junior Jon Wisnieski. He suffered a knee sprain and probably won’t play until at least halfway through the season, which is a big blow.
Iowa loves to use double tight-end sets on a regular basis, and the team will need to find a second player at the position. Junior Peter Pekar could be moved up in his absence, though that could change.
“Peter Pekar has really done well, continues just to be — he’s there every day and doing a good job,” Ferentz said on Tuesday. “We’ve looked at a lot of guys there. We’re a little further behind there.”
Without trying to read too much into what the coach said, it is not exactly reassuring with just a few days before the season starts.
Neither Pekar nor Wisnieski separated themselves at the position during the off-season, which opens up a tremendous opportunity for younger players such as true freshman Noah Fant.
Ferentz noted Fant during Big Ten media days in late July, and Beathard brought his name up again during Tuesday’s media availability. In fact, Ferentz said during his media-day interviews that Beathard had specifically noted his progression.
T.J. Hockenson is another name that’s been brought up and a player who could see time. But, for the most part, the position is in wait-and-see mode outside of Kittle.
Not the worst place to be but not a situation Iowa has found itself in often over the past few years.
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