The Iowa football program has a strong lineage of elite tight end play.
From Dallas Clark all the way up to DJ Vonnahme, the Hawkeyes have churned out successful tight ends in the Kirk Ferentz era. While Vonnahme still has multiple years of eligibility, he's not the only young player at that position that the coaching staff is high on.
Tight ends coach Abdul Hodge spoke to reporters on Friday at Iowa's media day. He had great things to say about Vonnahme, but it was his words on second-year tight end Thomas Meyer that stood out.
"Out of all the guys I’ve had since I’ve been here, Thomas Meyer has been the most advanced freshman I’ve ever seen," Hodge said. "He's a guy that can really be strong at the point of attack, he understands the entire system,
I think he's going to have a pretty good season. Usually when you have guys at 6-4, 250-pounds, you don't have that type of athleticism. He was a two, three-sport athlete. With his basketball background, you can see that showing up on the field. He's a smart kid that works hard. Whatever you tell him to do, he does. And he does it to the best of his ability."
Hodge's high praise of Meyer may be an insight into his role in the offense this season. Vonnahme will be the go-to guy at the tight end position. Behind him, Meyer will battle with veterans Addison Ostrenga and Zach Ortwerth for snaps.
Given his future upside and current situation, it wouldn't be surprising to see Meyer play a lot in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football raves about second-year TE Thomas Meyer
