Iowa football’s offensive coordinator Tim Lester Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Lands Commitment From UTRGV Transfer WR

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI | By Lane Mills | Last updated Jan 10, 2026 7:01 AM ET

Iowa Hawkeyes football is not, and has never been, known for their offense. Under longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz, the program has formed an identity around steely defenses, big-body, brutish playmakers and a "grind it out" type pace.

The team, year-to-year, change after change, always finds a way to beat opponents down. Yet, that doesn't mean credit can be taken away from offensive coordinator Tim Lester who, in spite of the program often focusing elsewhere, has developed a niche system of scoring that plays towards the Hawkeyes' strength.

Still, with room for improvement and added energy therein, adding big-name recruits on that side of the football is the first step towards a more potent offensive presence. In landing transfer wide receiver Tony Diaz, Lester and the Hawkeyes did just that.

A First-Year Sensation

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz broke the news of Diaz's commitment on X (Twitter), tagging the post with the receiver's statistics to note just how sizable an achievement securing his signature could end up being.

Having posted 67 catches for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, it's no wonder Diaz made a name for himself in his freshman year at Rio Grande Valley.

Iowa has landed a commitment from popular UT Rio Grande Valley wide receiver transfer Tony Diaz, his agent @flamp76 tells @CBSSports.

Diaz (@Tdiqz14) posted 67 catches, 881 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman this season. pic.twitter.com/M3rjL35sCx
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 9, 2026

Say what you will about strength of competition, numbers like those will get you by anywhere you go. Iowa's offensive outlook just got that much more promising, regardless of who ends up under center.

In addition to the report itself, Diaz also chimed in with a post and confirmation of his own.

Addressing Hawkeye Nation

"Hawkeye nation how we feelin?" Diaz asked, to the tune of more than 3,000 likes online, as well as nearly 300 replies chock-full of excited fans preparing to roll out the black and gold carpet in Iowa City.

Hawkeye nation how we feelin? #AGTG #committed pic.twitter.com/bY73ucZLkY
— Tony Diaz (@Tdiqz14) January 10, 2026

"LETS GOOOOOOOO," exclaimed one fan, while another wrote, "Feeling great you joined the swarm! Can’t wait to see you ball out next year!!" Between their bowl win over the Vanderbilt Commodores and the program's recent enjoyment of high-level recruits, excitement for Iowa football may have only risen since the season wrapped up.

Ferentz and his staff can't be stopped, piling momentum both on and off the field.

As the offseason continues to wilt into what will eventually be mostly behind the scenes activities for the football program, chunks of news like these help fans get by. To boot, they continue to lend themselves to the reality of a football team that should be as good as this past year's group, if not better by the time the staff's recruiting tear is all said and done.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: