DJ Vonnahme’s Rise: How Iowa’s Leading Offensive Weapon Was Once a Walk-On Nothing on the page caught anyone’s attention when Iowa football published its depth chart for the first week in August. In what was widely acknowledged to be a deep receiver room, Sam Phillips and Jacob Gill were slated as the top wide receivers, Mark Gronowski was the obvious QB1, and Kamari Moulton had earned his place at the top of the running back rotation. The order at tight end also seemed predictable: Zach Ortwerth, Hayden Large, and veteran starter Addison Ostrenga at the top. However, a name that was completely absent now seems unavoidable. Vonnahme, D.J.
Three months later, Iowa’s top receiver at the end of the season was the redshirt freshman who failed to make it through the first three-deep. It’s safe to say that the Hawkeyes’ most unexpected breakout star has arrived after his incredible performance in Iowa’s 40–16 victory over Nebraska in Lincoln, which included three receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. After the victory, Vonnahme said, “I was a little bit slow coming off the fall to start the season.” “But simply trusting what the coaches have in store for us and knowing what I’m supposed to do.”
When you take into account where it began, the 6-foot-4 tight end’s ascent seems even more impressive. Breda, a small rural town in Carroll County with fewer than 500 residents, is where Vonnahme was raised. High-level college football aspirations frequently seem unattainable in this setting. However, he continued to attract interest from a number of local schools, including Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and even Colorado State, which made him an FBS offer. His heart was never elsewhere, though. “I was a huge fan of Iowa growing up,” he remarked. “You ought to check out my basement, which is fully furnished with Iowa-related items.”
He therefore placed a wager on himself. Before starting his senior year at Carroll Kuemper, Vonnahme accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Hawkeyes instead of accepting a guaranteed scholarship. Although he didn’t play in any games in 2024, head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is known for developing tight ends of NFL caliber, saw something early. According to Ferentz, the freshman’s abilities were already superior to what conventional recruiting assessments indicated.
Ferentz remarked, “He was obviously better than maybe what the recruiters would have said and all that stuff.” “His willingness and ability to block are what most surprise me. He has a talent for it. Some of the things he does require more time for other guys to learn. However, Vonnahme was not in the rotation or on the depth chart when the season began. He did not participate in the first game against Albany. When Ostrenga sustained an Achilles injury against Iowa State in Week 2, everything changed. Vonnahme took advantage of the sudden need for assistance in the tight end room.
He recorded three receptions for 35 yards over Iowa’s next three games. Good, but not outstanding. However, the momentum began to grow. The breakthrough then occurred. Vonnahme had his heaviest workload to date in the Week 5 game against Indiana, which was ranked 11th at the time. He never looked back after that. He caught 19 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns during Iowa’s last stretch, which is uncommon for a freshman tight end in Iowa’s system, much less one who started the season far down the depth chart. According to quarterback Mark Gronowski, his teammates weren’t shocked by the leap.
Gronowski stated, “He’s always on top of his stuff when he gets into the game and practice throughout the year.” He consistently takes the proper routes. He works consistently each and every day. And that, in my opinion, is the most important factor. By the end of the season, the numbers made it very evident:
288 receiving yards — most on the team
• 22 receptions — tied for the team lead with Jacob Gill
• Two receiving touchdowns — tied with Seth Anderson for team-high.
Those numbers seem almost unbelievable for a player who began the season as a walk-on and ended up being a redshirt freshman afterthought. Given that Iowa is commonly referred to as “Tight End University,” Vonnahme was asked if he thought he would be the program’s next big star. “It is a great honor to play here, but I don’t really think about it too much,” he remarked. “I am familiar with the past. I am aware of the consequences. However, all I want is to keep developing every single day.
It’s possible that the Hawkeyes went into the season anticipating that their passing game would be centered around seasoned players and established playmakers. Rather, one of the most improbable tales in recent Iowa football history surfaced: a young man from a 500-person town who was previously disregarded by recruiting rankings is now at the top of Iowa’s stat sheet. The most effective offensive weapons aren’t always found. They can grow at times. And occasionally they continue to walk.
