Senior Zach Ortwerth set off fireworks when verbally committing to the University of Iowa on July 4. The three-star tight end is ranked the No. 16 overall player in Missouri for the class of 2023 and chose the Hawkeyes over a laundry list of other schools.

Football was not Ortwerth’s first love. He grew up playing basketball. 

“If you told me ten years ago that I would be playing a collegiate sport, I would've been convinced it would be for basketball,” said Ortwerth. “I was a hooper who played football on the side.” 

It was easy for a young Ortwerth to put football in the back seat because he did not start playing the sport at an organized level until freshman year. 

“I played mostly JV my freshman year. Sophomore year the season was shortened because of Covid, so I didn’t really know where I stood in terms of playing in college until after my junior season,” said Ortwerth.

The 6-foot-5 tight end has the build and athleticism to be one of the best tight ends in the country, and broke out his junior season. He developed into a premier blocker to go along with his receiving abilities, netting 20 catches and 300 yards that season. Colleges were quick to take notice. 

“Getting that first offer from Nebraska was surreal,” said Ortwerth. “It felt like my hard work paid off.”

The offers kept pouring in. Within a month, Ortwerth went from zero offers to nine, and eventually reached 14. Ortwerth narrowed down his list to his top four: Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh. 

“When it came down it, Wisconsin was hard to pass up. Potentially being reunited with Chris Brooks (’22) was a factor that I put a lot of weight in. Chris is that dude. He’s a great person and a great ballplayer. It was a tough decision,” said Ortwerth. “But Iowa just felt like home.”  

It is easy to understand why Iowa was such a match for Ortwerth. The tight end sports the nickname ‘Big Country’ in the SLUH football program, and it was important for him to end up at a school that fit. 

“I really enjoyed being around the coaches and players, and I felt like I fit into that culture Iowa can offer,” said Ortwerth. “And then on the field, there might not be a better school at developing my position. It’s Tight End U for a reason.” 

Iowa is dubbed “Tight End University” because of its long history of producing tight ends that play at the next level. Currently there are three former Hawkeyes starting at tight end in the NFL, and since 1958, 13 Iowa tight ends have been drafted. Ortwerth wants to add one more to that list.

“I am very fortunate to get the opportunity to play Division 1 football, so my focus now is going to be on the next four years in Iowa City. A great thing about attending Iowa is the Big Ten education that comes with it, and I do not want to take that for granted,” said Ortwerth. “But if the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready.”