Iowa Football's Tight End Depth Is Blossoming Entering the 2026 Season

Did you expect anything different? The position is turning into another strength of Iowa with a few depth pieces showing growth.

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa student-athlete Addison Ostrenga speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No, this is not deja vu. I know it seems like there is no way this can continue, but trust me, it's true again.

The Iowa Hawkeyes continue to reload the tight end position with high-end talent, a lot of which is showing signs of blossoming in 2026, creating a ton of depth for offensive coordinator Tim Lester to work with.

Addison Ostrenga is back and talks tight end depth

After missing nearly all of 2025 with an injury, tight end Addison Ostrenga is fully healthy and ready to go for the 2026 season. He joins a room that is led by star tight end DJ Vonnahme, but has much more beneath the surface ready to blossom.

"He's been working his butt off this season. Did a great job last year as well as a freshman just learning the playbook. That's the biggest thing; just being able to know what to do so that when he got in, he could execute," Ostrenga said of Thomas Meyer.

"Mason too. He works his butt off. Like you said, a little bit more of a receiver style when he's running routes, which is good. It brings more versatility to the room. I'm excited to watch him excel this season and grow as a player," Ostrenga added about Mason Woods.

How can Tim Lester use Iowa's abundance of tight end talent?

Iowa has no shortage of options in how it can choose to use the quarter of capable tight ends on the depth chart.

It starts with DJ Vonnahme, though. He is going to be Iowa's No. 1 tight end and has a real chance at being Iowa's top pass catcher in general. He has great hands and can run after the catch.

Addison Ostrenga slots into this offense nicely with Tim Lester's run-pass-option schemes, as he has done in the past. In previous seasons, Ostrenga has shown an ability to navigate traffic in the RPO and play-action game and get open in the red zone, making him a unique chess piece for Iowa in two-tight-end sets.

DEACON HILL TO ADDISON OSTRENGA FROM 2 YARDS OUT TOUCHDOWN HAWKEYES pic.twitter.com/Gq96AbKK9E

— SuperHawkeyeFan (@superhawkeyefan) November 4, 2023

Thomas Meyer brings another big body to the tight end room for Iowa to use in heavy sets that can cause mismatches for defenses.

At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he demands that defenses be aware of him in the red zone and short-yardage situations.

Mason Woods intrigues me with his athleticism. A bit more of a lanky tight end who can run, Tim Lester could bring Woods into a two-tight-end formation alongside DJ Vonnahme, forcing an undersized safety or slower linebacker to run with him, giving defenses headaches all day.