Former Iowa Hawkeyes Walk-On Tight End Earns Scholarship

The Iowa Hawkeyes have rewarded one of their young tight ends for his work within the program.

On Saturday, Hawk Fanatic reported that former walk-on DJ Vonnahme was given a scholarship, marking one of the best accomplishments for a young player.

The 6-foot-4 tight end was notified of this great achievement following spring practices. He is now the seventh player at the position on scholarship, including three true freshmen.

Vonnahme will compete for playing time in many capacities this season. The majority will likely be on special teams as he gets incorporated within the offense.

Vonnahme joined the Hawkeyes as part of the 202 recruiting class after a successful high school career.

During his prep school career, Vonnahme was a star on both sides of the ball. He was an offensive triple threat. Vonnahme totaled 1,803 passing yards with 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 652 yards and 14 scores while piling up 697 receiving yards and 14 scores as well.

Defensively, Vonnahme doubled as a safety where he came away with 11 interceptions, with two being returned for touchdowns.

Vonnahme was an all-around athlete during his high school career. He tripled as a basketball star as well as an elite track runner, where he qualified for states in both the 100 and 200 meters.

The Hawkeyes are coming off an eight-win season where the offense continued to struggle at times. Iowa is hoping that can be fixed this season with transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski taking over.