Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 40-0vs Northern Illinois | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | Season-high 6 yds |
| Total | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
#48
Zach Ortwerth
Senior tight end for Iowa. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 247 lb · Saint Louis, MO · St. Louis University
Returning to Iowa for 2026
The numbers
6
receiving yards · 2026
1 catches · 6 per catch
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 rec, 6 yds, vs Northern Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 tight end for Iowa. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa in 2023.
Zach Ortwerth
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. He has spent four seasons in the Iowa receiving corps. One game to point at: 6 rec yds, 1 receptions against Northern Illinois — Week 1, 2026.
6 REC YDS · 1 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Iowa3-star out of St. Louis University
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Iowa
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Iowa
Played his entire career under Kirk Ferentz.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Kirk Ferentz — 29-13 over that span.
2023Iowa10-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024Iowa8-5HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Iowa9-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Iowa2-0HC: Kirk Ferentz · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 REC/g, 6.0 YDS/g, 6.0 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kirk Ferentz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · Iowa
Returning around him
- 34% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 7 Iowa players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +7 net (15 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #44 · 2026 recruiting class #26
DNA match
Player DNA
Complete TE
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
TE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Shelton Zeon III’s 2022 season.
Matches Shelton on
Weight
EPA / play (adj)
Yards / reception
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Drew Biber's junior season at Purdue (2024).
Matches Drew on
Yards / reception
Reception volume
EPA / play (adj)
Differs from Drew on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Zach Ortwerth
The tight end room · Iowa
- #81DJ Vonnahme434 receiving yards · 2025
- #48Zach Ortwerth76 receiving yards · 2025
- #87Addison Ostrenga8 receiving yards · 2025
- #80Michael Burtno box-score line yet
- #82Dylan Steckerno box-score line yet
4 more on the roster · Iowa team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology