Iowa snags another TE commitment straight out of Nebraska territory
The last tight end recruit the Iowa Hawkeyes snagged out of Omaha was Noah Fant. He went on to put up 1,083 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons for the Hawks en route to being drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos.
It worked before for Iowa, and the Hawkeyes are hoping an Omaha tight end will work out again. That tight end? It's three-star Michael Burt from Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha.
Nebraska would have seemed like a shoo-in choice for Burt considering the fact that his high school is less than an hour away from Memorial Park, where the Huskers play ball. He also had an offer from Nebraska and took an official visit to Lincoln this past weekend.
That all seemed like good news for Nebraska, but it seems that Iowa's history of developing NFL-ready tight ends ultimately won out for Burt.
"Iowa preached on the development and used their tight ends as examples on how they started compared to where they are now - developing and trusting. They showed me film on how they use tight ends in critical situations. I know they could be a great place for me," Burt had told 247Sports about his early June official visit to Iowa City.
“They see me as a real prostyle tight end. I’m very versatile and I think when people ask me what my strengths are, the first thing I say is my versatility. I think that’s true because I trust myself to make a big play whether blocking or receiving. I think I can play inline and make a big block and make a crucial play. I think I can flex out and do what they need me to do. I can catch a big pass. I think my frame fits the versatility well. I think I have good muscle to myself and upside in getting stronger, and I do think I’m agile enough to make athletic plays. I use both of those things to my advantage and they see me as a prostyle tight end which would make me the perfect fit in their offense.”
For those potentially underwhelmed about Burt's three-star status, consider the following: George Kittle was a two-star recruit heading into Iowa.. T.J. Hockenson was a three-star, as was Fant.
All are now star tight ends in the NFL, highlighted by Kittle — who is easily one of the best of this era.
When a tight end commits to Iowa, it's best to take notice.
Burt is rated as the No. 9 tight end in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.
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