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Tight End U.
A number of schools have made the claim over the years and to some degree, each that’s truly tried has had a legitimate argument. But at this moment in history, there’s an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when it comes to churning out tight end talent. That is, of course, the University of Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have a long tradition of putting tight ends in the NFL under head coach Kirk Ferentz. The list includes greats like Scott Chandler, Tony Moeaki, Brandon Myers, and of course Dallas Clark. But there’s never been a moment in time where Iowa’s tight end talent has been quite so publicized as the here and now.
We’re coming off an NFL season where former Hawkeye George Kittle broke the single season receiving record for tight ends, jumping to the top of the list of up and coming stars in the league. And the NFL Draft is just around the corner, where the Hawkeyes are expected to have two more tight ends selected in the first round with all-world athlete Noah Fant and the reigning Mackey Award winner T.J. Hockenson.
With so much success and national attention, it’s only logical the Iowa staff would utilize the headlines on the recruiting trail. That’s led to some interest from major tight end prospects from around the country. At the top of that list is Texas native Elijah Yelverton.
After taking a visit to Iowa City just over a year ago, Yelverton has been fairly quiet on the Hawkeye front. That is until Yelverton narrowed his list to a top five schools earlier this week, including Iowa. Today, he’s taken things a step further, deciding those other 4 schools really weren’t necessary.
100% COMMITTED Tight End U #swarm20 pic.twitter.com/JPBJHm2szD
— Elijah Yelverton (@yelverton2002) April 12, 2019
Yelverton is a big time pick up for the Hawkeyes in the class of 2020. He’s currently rated as a 3-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports, but that really undervalues his talents. His offer list is much more reflective. The Bishop Dunne product boasts 36 offers in total, including Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State and a couple dozen other programs.
The Dallas-native his a great frame at 6’5” and 235 pounds as a junior in high school. That frame is paired nicely with great athleticism and speed for the position. He’s a tremendous receiving threat and was often split out wide at Bishop Dunne. He finished his junior season with 364 yards and 4 touchdowns on 23 catches, numbers that are sure to be even better during his senior season.
Yelverton is the first tight end to commit in the class of 2020, but he is unlikely to be the last. As the Hawkeyes look to build on their growing momentum, they’re in on several other top prospects at the position and could take one or two more.
The commitment brings Iowa’s class of 2020 to 9 total commits. Yelverton is the fifth offensive player to commit and the third skill position commit, joining Des Moines running back Gavin Williams and fellow Texan quarterback Deuce Hogan.
Welcome aboard Elijah Yelverton!