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Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season!
Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.
Each day of the countdown has primarily featured an article profiling one of the current members of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number. If a player wears No. 49 and the countdown has reached day 49, then that's the player we're going to take a look at.
READ MORE: 49 Days Until Iowa Football: Boston Everitt
Today marks 48 days until kickoff, so that means it's time to take a look at No. 48 - tight end Zach Ortwerth.
DJ Vonnahme is the name most Iowa fans are watching for at the tight end position in 2026, but don't discredit the impact Ortwerth could have, too.
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
High School: St. Louis University High School
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 245 pounds
Other notable players to wear 48: A notable name to wear No. 48 is former defensive lineman Howard Hodges. Hodges played for the Hawkeyes from 1999-2003 and became a stalwart on the defensive line, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2002 and helping Kirk Ferentz resurrect the Iowa program. The Hawks won 21 games in Hodges' final two years in Iowa City, including a Big Ten title in 2002.
Iowa has a revolving door of good tight end play year in and year out, which makes it hard for young tight ends to earn playing time, but Ortwerth saw action in seven games (one start) during his freshman campaign of 2023.
An early season-ending injury to Luke Lachey helped, but Ortwerth also lucked out that the Hawkeyes boasted one of the nation's worst offenses. Iowa was literally trying to piece together anything that would work.
Ortwerth's first big college play came in a 22-0 shutout victory over Rutgers in November 2023, where he broke free down the seem and took Deacon Hill's pass 54 yards into Scarlet Knights territory for his first career reception.
That would go down as Ortwerth's only catch of his freshman season, but he's been a serviceable option throughout his Iowa career. Though he lacks a touchdown on his resume, Ortwerth has tallied 263 yards (12.5 average) in three seasons as Hawkeye.
Ortwerth earned four starts in 2025, but with Vonnahme entrenched as the No. 1 tight end heading into this year, Ortwerth will likely be the No. 2 option. That's far from a bad thing, though, as Vonnahme won't be able to play every snap.
Expect Ortwerth to be very involved in Tim Lester's offense this season. Can he secure his first touchdown?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.
Each day of the countdown has primarily featured an article profiling one of the current members of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number. If a player wears No. 49 and the countdown has reached day 49, then that's the player we're going to take a look at.
READ MORE: 49 Days Until Iowa Football: Boston Everitt
Today marks 48 days until kickoff, so that means it's time to take a look at No. 48 - tight end Zach Ortwerth.
DJ Vonnahme is the name most Iowa fans are watching for at the tight end position in 2026, but don't discredit the impact Ortwerth could have, too.
Bio
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
High School: St. Louis University High School
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 245 pounds
Other notable players to wear 48: A notable name to wear No. 48 is former defensive lineman Howard Hodges. Hodges played for the Hawkeyes from 1999-2003 and became a stalwart on the defensive line, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2002 and helping Kirk Ferentz resurrect the Iowa program. The Hawks won 21 games in Hodges' final two years in Iowa City, including a Big Ten title in 2002.
Ortwerth's career so far
Iowa has a revolving door of good tight end play year in and year out, which makes it hard for young tight ends to earn playing time, but Ortwerth saw action in seven games (one start) during his freshman campaign of 2023.
An early season-ending injury to Luke Lachey helped, but Ortwerth also lucked out that the Hawkeyes boasted one of the nation's worst offenses. Iowa was literally trying to piece together anything that would work.
Ortwerth's first big college play came in a 22-0 shutout victory over Rutgers in November 2023, where he broke free down the seem and took Deacon Hill's pass 54 yards into Scarlet Knights territory for his first career reception.
That would go down as Ortwerth's only catch of his freshman season, but he's been a serviceable option throughout his Iowa career. Though he lacks a touchdown on his resume, Ortwerth has tallied 263 yards (12.5 average) in three seasons as Hawkeye.
Ortwerth earned four starts in 2025, but with Vonnahme entrenched as the No. 1 tight end heading into this year, Ortwerth will likely be the No. 2 option. That's far from a bad thing, though, as Vonnahme won't be able to play every snap.
Expect Ortwerth to be very involved in Tim Lester's offense this season. Can he secure his first touchdown?
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
