Please check the stats for anyone questioning whether or not Iowa is indeed Tight End University. While it is common knowledge around Iowa City that the Hawkeyes are the program for developing star tight ends for the NFL, others in the national media have refused to acknowledge the throne. Teams such as Miami have still been given the nod due to success in the distant past.
The stats show a clear story three weeks into the 2023 NFL season: The Hawkeyes reign supreme at tight end. Three of the top five in receiving yards at the tight end position so far this season are all Hawkeyes. Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, and George Kittle are first, second, and fourth in tight end yards respectively. Let’s break down some stats.
NFL Tight End Receiving Leaders
#1 @Samlaporta – 186 yards
#2 @TheeHOCK8 – 179 yards
#4 @gkittle46 – 139 yards#NFLHawks x #TEU📸 AP pic.twitter.com/quJYll4SDU
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) September 27, 2023
T.J. Hockenson has been, by far, the most heavily utilized tight end in the league this year. He leads the position with 28 targets and 23 catches. He is second in targets and receptions for the Vikings, serving as a key safety valve for quarterback Kirk Cousins. He scored two touchdowns against Philadelphia in Week 2. In his first full season with the Vikes, he is on pace for a career-high year in pretty much every statistical category.
Despite playing in an offense featuring Christian McCaffery, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle is still maintaining a key role for the 49ers. He is also second in both targets and catches for San Francisco. Of course, we all know Kittle’s dominance as a run blocker as well.
Then, we have rookie Sam LaPorta. Many questioned him as the second tight end off the board, going to the Detroit Lions in the second round. LaPorta has completely seized a major role in the Detroit offense, and looks like the next star Iowa tight end.
LaPorta leads all tight ends with 186 yards and has done nothing but impress. He’s shown a little bit of everything early in the season for the Lions, from key blocks in the run game to his most recent 45-yard score this past week.
Rookies at the position tend to struggle a lot. The only other rookie who has cracked 100 yards this season is Green Bay‘s Luke Musgrave, who is having a fantastic season in his own right.
Many dismissed the reports in training camp of Sam LaPorta looking fantastic for the Lions, calling it typical preseason chatter. Early results beg to differ, though, and they one again prove just how dominant Iowa is at the tight end position.
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