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With
tight ends this good, who needs wide receivers?
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Iowa football has become a veritable tight end factory under
head coach Kirk Ferentz. Between the runaway NFL success of George
Kittle, the long and productive career of Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion
Dallas Clark, and the two Hawkeye tight ends selected in the first round of the
2019 NFL draft (the first time one school has ever accomplished this
feat), Iowa has established a reputation for producing productive college
players and top-flight NFL draft prospects at this position. At a time when
more and more schools are abandoning the pro set in favor of spread schemes,
Iowa regularly deploys two-tight end packages and finds creative ways to
incorporate these players into their offense.
Picking the best tight ends of the Ferentz era is a challenging
proposition, but we gave it our best shot. The absence of “The People’s Tight
End” George Kittle may raise a few eyebrows but
remember that this list is based on college feats, not success at the
professional level.
5. Brandon Myers (2005-2008)
In another life, Myers might have spent
his whole career stuck behind Tony Moeaki, one
of the most talented tight ends in program history whose college career was
constantly derailed by injuries. Instead Myers was
given a chance to play major snaps during Moeaki’s frequent stints on the
injured list, and he more than made the most of those opportunities. A
first-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, Myers caught
34 passes for 441 yards and four touchdowns and parlayed a strong 2008 campaign
into a solid NFL career.
Myers was not the most athletic tight end to come through Iowa
but was arguably the most technically sound. The Prairie City-Monroe alum
showed great hands, was an able run blocker, and was one of the best route
runners I’ve seen at the tight end position. Myers was an absolute weapon on
third down due to his ability to adjust to defensive coverages and find holes
in opposing zones and became a real security blanket for Ricky Stanzi when
the Hawkeyes went to the air. Myers may not have had the recruiting pedigree of
some of his fellow Hawkeye tight ends, but he was one of the top players at his
position as a senior and is more than deserving of a place on this list.
4. Scott Chandler (2003-2006)
Scott Chandler began his Iowa career as a wide receiver in the
shadow of his older brother Nathan, Iowa’s starting QB in 2003. By the end of
his tenure in Iowa City, the not-so-little brother had established himself as
one of the best tight ends in program history. Despite never earning above
second-team All-Conference honors, Chandler was consistently excellent over the
course of his Hawkeye career, finishing with 1467 yards and 10 touchdowns while
establishing himself as one of the most dangerous red zone weapons in college
football as a senior.
Chandler’s imposing 6-7 frame made him an absolute matchup
nightmare for opposing defensive backs. He had wide receiver ball skills and
fantastic hands, both of which helped him produce a spectacularly memorable
juggling catch against Iowa State.
Chandler's 117 career receptions rank first in program history among tight ends, and from 2005-2006 he was consistently one of the most dangerous receiving weapons in the country at his position.
Chandler's 117 career receptions rank first in program history among tight ends, and from 2005-2006 he was consistently one of the most dangerous receiving weapons in the country at his position.
3. Noah Fant (2016-2018)
Noah Fant was a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. A 6-5, 232lb
with 4.5 forty speed, Fant looked like he was designed in a lab to obliterate
existing notions of what was possible at the tight end position. Fant could
torch defensive backs deep and outjump/outmuscle anyone in the red zone. These
skills helped Fant pull in 19 touchdown receptions over his three-year career
in Iowa City, easily the most of any Hawkeye tight end and the fourth most in
program history. BoilerHawk pointed out that nearly one out of every four of
Fant’s catches produced a touchdown, which is absolutely incredible.
Fant never lived up to his potential as a blocker and the
coaches often struggled to find the best way to
operationalize his unique skillset, particularly once his running mate and
co-first-team All-Big Ten choice T.J. Hockenson emerged
as legitimate #1 option. Still, Fant’s production over the course of only three
seasons (78 catches for 1083 yards) is undeniable, as were the impressive
highlights he produced during his time in the black and gold.
Watching Fant beat Ohio State's star defensive back Jordan Fuller deep and absolutely embarrass Nebraska in 2017 are some of the most exciting highlights Iowa has produced in several years and speak to Fant's exceptional and unique talent and his place on the pantheon of Iowa's all-time great tight ends.
Watching Fant beat Ohio State's star defensive back Jordan Fuller deep and absolutely embarrass Nebraska in 2017 are some of the most exciting highlights Iowa has produced in several years and speak to Fant's exceptional and unique talent and his place on the pantheon of Iowa's all-time great tight ends.
2. T.J. Hockenson (2017-2018)
T.J. Hockenson only
played for two years at Iowa, and only spent one season in the starting lineup.
But when you produce on the level of Hockenson’s sophomore season, it’s tough
to argue with his inclusion on this list. In his All-American Mackey Award-winning season, Hockenson pulled in 49 catches for
760 yards and six touchdowns and produced arguably the most dominant season of any tight end in program history.
Hockenson was a true
every down player at tight end who excelled as both a blocker and a pass catcher.
His soft hands and incredible leaping ability made him impossible to cover on
passing plays, and his physical, hard-nosed blocking made him a legitimate
asset in the running game. His breakout performance came as a redshirt freshman
when he scored two touchdowns against Ohio State, while his evisceration of
Indiana the following year solidified him as one of the most dangerous
offensive weapons in the country.
Had he returned for his
junior season, Hockenson likely could have contended for the top spot on this
list. As it stands, however, he will have to “settle” for a #2 ranking.
Dallas Clark played three years at Iowa and spent one of those
seasons as a reserve linebacker. For Clark to have established such an
unimpeachable legacy in such a short time speaks to just how dominant a player
he was at the tight end position. Clark burst onto the scene in 2001 with his
38 catches for 539, but eviscerated all expectation the following year, earning
Consensus All-American honors and winning the Mackey Award while catching 43
passes for 742. Clark was our unanimous pick for the #1 spot, and the
superlatives from my colleagues speak to exactly how dominant he was as a collegiate
tight end:
“A
legend among heroes. He did it all at Iowa and outdid that as a pro. No doubter
in my view.” – JpinIC“
I
wanted to ‘hot take’ Noah Fant in the top spot but Clark’s two-year career at
tight end is unassailable with a career 15.3 yards/reception.” -BoilerHawk
"Part of one of arguably the best Ferentz era team and has one of the most memorable moments of that season." - tnels20
The "memorable moment" mentioned above came in the form of two plays against Purdue in 2002 which remain among the most iconic of the Ferentz era.
