Iowa’s Luke Lachey among College Sports Wire’s best 2023 tight ends
Around the country, it would be cause for concern looking to replace a player like Sam LaPorta.
Drafted No. 34 overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, LaPorta established himself as the latest and greatest star tight end at the University of Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes and Big Ten tight ends in receiving yardage each of the past two years.
It meant that LaPorta was a finalist for the John Mackey Award and the Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year recipient. Again, replacing LaPorta’s production might be problematic elsewhere, but it’s actually sort of exciting in Iowa City.
It means that we get to see more of talented tight end Luke Lachey and Michigan transfer Erick All. When asked to fill in for LaPorta late last season, Lachey went ahead and delivered back-to-back big performances against Minnesota and Nebraska in succession.
The 6-foot-6, 252 pound native of Columbus, Ohio, ripped off a five-grab, 77-yard performance against Minnesota and then a seven-catch, 89-yard outing with a score against Nebraska. He capped his season with three receptions for 36 yards and a score in the Hawkeyes’ 21-0 shutout of Kentucky in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
As a result, Lachey is on the radar nationally. College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn included Lachey among his baker’s dozen of the best tight ends in college football entering 2023.
Lachey was productive at the tight end position, despite being the No. 2 option behind Sam LaPorta. However, he was able to get more touchdown receptions that the eventual NFL draft pick. This upcoming season, Lachey gets to prove he is the next in a long line of former Iowa tight ends to move on to the next level after another big campaign. – Conn, College Sports Wire.
Lachey finished the 2022 season with 28 receptions for 398 yards and a team-leading four touchdown grabs. Now, as Conn notes, Lachey gets the opportunity to showcase that he can be the leading man at a place where it’s known for sensational tight end play.
Lachey will turn in a season that makes his predecessors proud in 2023. He will do so alongside the aforementioned Erick All who should help the Hawkeyes form one of the nation’s top tight end tandems.
All is familiar with new Hawkeye signal-caller Cade McNamara from the pair’s time at Michigan. He reeled in 38 receptions for 437 yards with a pair of scores during the 2021 season when All was healthy.
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