IOWA CITY — Quarterback Hank Brown lofted a ball toward the end zone toward receiver Tony Diaz during an Iowa football spring practice.
Diaz, who was battling with defensive back Deshaun Lee, leaped in the air and contorted his body to adjust to the trajectory of the pass. Despite having Lee draped on him in coverage, Diaz came down with the ball for a touchdown.
The wideout has made a strong impression early in his time with the Hawkeyes. During a brief viewing open to the media during spring practice on Thursday, April 9, Diaz got some first-team reps.
“I’m a dumb line coach, but receivers’ first job is (to) catch the ball, and he likes to catch balls,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Diaz on March 31. “No matter where they’re at, he’ll find a way to catch it. He runs well, and he’s just got a great attitude.”
Iowa made a splash by landing Diaz in the transfer portal this offseason.
As a redshirt freshman at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley last season, he hauled in 68 receptions for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns. Diaz’s impressive campaign included a 17-catch, 172-yard performance against Incarnate Word.
He was named an FCS 1st Team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele.
There was no shortage of competition for Diaz’s services in the transfer portal. He has received offers from Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and Virginia Tech, among others, but picked Iowa.
The addition was especially important because it came at a position of need. It’s no secret that Iowa’s wide receiver production has been underwhelming recently. On top of that, the Hawkeyes lost a handful of contributors from last season’s receiving corps in Jacob Gill, Sam Phillips, Kaden Wetjen and Seth Anderson.
Diaz’s skills have been evident since he arrived on campus.
“He’s very twitchy,” fellow receiver Dayton Howard said of Diaz. “Probably the twitchiest I’ve ever seen, for sure. His ball skills are amazing. If it’s in the air, it’s his every single time. He’s special, for sure.”
Reece Vander Zee said this: “He’s been legit. He’s going to go up and get a ball. He’s going to put his body on the line for us. And he’s gaining the trust of a lot of people. So I think he’s doing a really good job.”
Diaz is not the only highly productive transfer that the Hakweyes landed at receiver during the portal cycle.
Furman transfer Evan James, who accompanied Diaz as an FCS 1st team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele, also joined the Hawkeyes. James accumulated 65 receptions for 796 yards and seven touchdowns as a true freshman last season.
“Evan looks good,” Howard said. “He’s been dealing with some injuries here and there, so we really haven’t seen that much of him. But he looks amazing. He runs very fluid routes. He’s a lighter guy. Very good at getting in and out of breaks. He’s going to be a downfield threat, for sure, for us.”
Diaz and James have joined a core of returning receivers. When healthy, Vander Zee has shown he can be a capable playmaker. Howard, listed at 6-foot-5, possesses a wide catch radius. Jarriett Buie, who didn’t appear at all in 2025 due to injury, is back in the rotation now.
It’s understandable for there still to be skepticism surrounding that unit. And, frankly, that’s warranted.
It’s difficult to believe something has changed for the better until it consistently happens during game action. Diaz and James will have to prove that they can make the jump from the FCS to the Big Ten. Plus, whoever wins the starting quarterback job will be relatively inexperienced.
The good news is that Diaz and James each came to Iowa with three seasons of eligibility remaining. So, assuming they stick out the rest of their college careers with the Hawkeyes, they have time to progress.
But Diaz, in particular, seems to be off to a strong start.
“Me and Tony have been going at it each and every day,” said defensive back Jaylen Watson. “Like I said, he’s a great ball player. I’m just happy he’s on our side. But right now, he’s on the other side. So we’ve been battling it out right now.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Transfer receiver Tony Diaz doing ‘really good job’ for Iowa football
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
