The hype is real.
Tony Diaz demonstrated a twitchiness and a knack for the big play that Hawkeye fans haven't seen from a star receiver in far too long. It's just one game and it came against Northern Illinois, but the 5-foot-10, 184-pound transfer wide out from UTRGV put on a show on Saturday.
Diaz finished with seven grabs for 84 yards and a score. And it could have been more. Iowa quarterbacks Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski each missed potential big plays on throws to Diaz along the way.
Still, Diaz made enough plays to turn heads inside Kinnick Stadium and those watching along at home.
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked if Saturday was reflective of what they've seen from Diaz during camp and how Diaz has earned the trust of his
quarterbacks as the Hawkeyes' go-to guy.
"If he's out there healthy, that's what he does. He got banged up a little bit in the spring, but he just plays hard and he plays fast also. He is fast and plays fast. As dumb as it sounds, he's really aggressive catching balls. That does sound dumb and kind of silly in some certain ways. You hope a receiver's that way, but he enjoys catching balls. He tries really hard to do it. Sometimes to his own detriment with the injury stuff, but he's just got a great attitude and he's been a really good addition for us," Ferentz said.
Diaz and Iowa's offense finished with 507 yards of total offense, the most under third-year offensive coordinator Tim Lester. Iowa's 507 yards of total offense is the most in a season opener since the Hawkeyes finished with 593 yards against Akron to open the 2002 season.
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 Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football comments on Tony Diaz's impressive debut vs. NIU
