Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, Luke Lachey were Pro Football Focus’ top graded Week 12 tight ends

Tight End U delivers again. Iowa’s Sam LaPorta and Luke Lachey were Pro Football Focus’ top graded Week 12 tight ends.

It’s well documented that Iowa is “Tight End U.” Week 12 of the college football season only reinforces that reality.

Per Pro Football Focus, Iowa tight ends Sam LaPorta and Luke Lachey were the two top-graded tight ends. The duo boasted grades of 94.5 and 90.7, respectively.

LaPorta finished with four grabs for 95 yards, while Lachey added five receptions for 77 yards.

LaPorta’s career-long, 58 yard reception in the first quarter on Iowa’s first offensive play from scrimmage helped set the tone in the Hawkeyes’ win over Minnesota. That grab and LaPorta’s seven-yard reception on the drive helped set up the game’s opening field goal.

Then, LaPorta had receptions of six and 24 yards on Iowa’s next drive, a 12-play, 66-yard drive that ended with the Hawkeyes in the end zone on quarterback Spencer Petras’ 1-yard sneak.

Of course, LaPorta left the game with injury and that paved the way for Lachey to showcase why fans don’t have to worry about the position moving forward. After Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell was ruled out of bounds on his late-game interception (a terrible call), Lachey made sure Iowa fans could breathe easy, hauling in a 33-yard grab from Petras to position Drew Stevens for the game-winning, 21-yard field goal.

“I didn’t really run the full route because I knew it was going to be there, so I turned around and Spence threw a great ball and I just had to make it finish from there.

“It was great and after I caught it, all I was focused on was trying to gain as many yards as I could and holding onto the ball, because I knew at that point, we were probably in field goal range. Just trying to make the best opportunity for us,” Lachey said of his late grab.

Iowa closes its regular season versus Nebraska on Friday with a berth in the Big Ten Championship game on the line.

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