Former Kuemper Catholic Standout Catches First Collegiate TD

DJ Vonnahme finds the end zone for Iowa vs. Oregon in Big Ten action

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end DJ Vonnahme (81) makes a catch around Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Marcus Neal Jr.(31) and linebacker Kooper Ebel (47) during the fourth quarter in the Cy-Hawk football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A former Iowa high school football standout caught his first collegiate touchdown on Saturday.

DJ Vonnahme, a redshirt freshman for the Iowa Hawkeyes, caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Mark Gronowski on first-and-goal vs. the Oregon Ducks Saturday in one of the key games of the week.

The touchdown helped the Hawkeyes cut the deficit to 9-7 just before halftime.

KUEMPER CATHOLIC ALUMNI DJ VONNAHME SCORES 🔥#iahsfb

pic.twitter.com/YigcvGRYAU

— Bound Iowa (@Bound_IA) November 8, 2025

DJ Vonnahme Was A Multi-Position Standout, Multi-Sport Athlete For Kuemper Catholic in Carroll

Vonnhame, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end from Breda, was a standout at a variety of positions for Kuemper Catholic High School. He earned first team all-state and all-district honors as a senior, after being named second team all-state and first team all-district as a junior, when he also was named co-offensive player of the year in the league.

Over the course of his high school career with the Knights, Vonnahme threw for 1,803 yards and 25 touchdowns, rushing for another 652 yards and 14 scores. He also caught 14 touchdowns and had 697 yards receiving.

On defense, Vonnahme played safety, recording 11 interceptions with two of those being returned for touchdowns.

Former Kuemper Catholic Standout has Played in Every Game This Season For the Iowa Hawkeyes

Vonnahme played a variety of sports for Kuemper Catholic, as he was a three-year letterwinners in basketball and a two-year letterwinner in both soccer and track. As a junior, he helped the Knights reach the Iowa high school boys state basketball tournament as a starter while qualifying for the Iowa high school state track and field championships in the 100 as a senior and both the 100 and 200 as a junior.

Last year with the Hawkeyes, Vonnhame played in the maximum of four games to retain his redshirt, earning a letter. He has played in every game this season for Iowa, making his first start vs. Wisconsin.

Vonnhame caught four passes vs. No. 2 Indiana and had three in the win over the Badgers. He caught his first pass against in-state rival Iowa State.

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