T.J. Hockenson – Noteworthy
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz caused a stir last week when he intimated that star tight end Noah Fant’s lack of snaps in a loss to Northwestern was due in part because T.J. Hockenson had passed Fant on the depth chart. The Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) corrected course last week at Illinois: Fant was predictably fantastic, scoring the game’s first touchdown in a 63-0 rout. It has nonetheless become clear that Hockenson, a redshirt sophomore, just might be the best player on Iowa’s roster. He has caught 41 passes for 663 yards and six TDs, and on Monday was named one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. “He’s got a good skill set … but more importantly, he has a good work ethic and he’s been patient,” Ferentz said. “In our camp, we’ve felt like he was a pretty good player for quite some time now.” Hockenson put up enormous numbers at tiny Chariton (Iowa) High, with 85 grabs for 1,219 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior. But when he and Fant came to Iowa in the same recruiting class, Fant that was expected to be the star and Hockenson was seen as a potential complementary piece. Hockenson redshirted in 2016 while Fant played right away. – AP College Football
