By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Sophomore receiver Tony Diaz is taking a big chance on the Iowa football team, and more specifically on offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who convinced Diaz to be a Hawkeye.

Diaz had other opportunities from Power 4 programs that throw the ball more often than Iowa does, including Alabama and Arkansas.

But Diaz still picked Iowa because he felt it was the best fit for him, on and off the field.

It didn’t matter to Diaz that Iowa is known more for its running game and for being somewhat conservative on offense under veteran head coach Kirk Ferentz because Lester built a level of trust with Diaz during what was a brief recruitment in the transfer portal.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about the bigger name schools, the Alabamas, the Arkansas’; it’s not about that,” Diaz said. “It’s about where you fit in and how the offense is going to revolve around you  and how you’re going to do in the offense and how you’re going to fit into the offense.

“And coach Lester gave me that vision and showed me and we’ve been doing it since spring ball and I’ve been liking it. It’s going to be fun this season.”

Diaz also credits Kirk Ferentz and receiver coach Jon Budmayr for helping to build a level of trust with him. They recruited Diaz as a person and not just as a football player.

“This place is something special,” Diaz said. “Going into the portal, I was looking for a coaching staff that truly cared about their players, not just on the field, but off the field.

“I felt it from KF (Kirk Ferentz), coach Lester and coach Budmayr when I got here. The culture here is like no other.”

Diaz quickly established himself as a playmaker in spring practice.

His Iowa teammates have described him as a big play waiting to happen; somebody who can stretch the field and make difficult catches in traffic.

“I can bring a lot,” Diaz said confidently.

And while it seems highly unlikely that Iowa would ever be a pass-first offense under Kirk Ferentz, Diaz has seen signs of the passing game evolving under Lester.

“Coach Lester has been here for two years now and going on his third year, I’ve been seeing like little creeps in the passing game,” Diaz said. “I mean the run game is already there and we’ve got the line for it and I’m sure we’ve got the line to protect.

“After that, it was just the passing game and they made that pitch to me that I could come in and fulfill that position and be that guy.”

A native of San Marcos, Texas, Diaz spent his first two years of college at Texas Rio Grande Valley where he had a breakout season this past fall as a redshirt freshman, finishing with 875 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

His 11 touchdowns ranked sixth in the FCS and first in the Southland Conference.

He was redshirted as a true freshman in 2024 as Texas Rio Grande Valley underwent a developmental year in preparation for joining the Southland Conference in 2025.

Texas Rio Grande Valley didn’t play in any official games in 2024, but Diaz still used that season as a springboard to the 2025 season.

He only has two scholarship offers coming out of high school, so it wasn’t as if Diaz had a lot of options.

He took a chance by attending Texas Rio Grande Valley during a transition period, and now he’s taking a chance by attending Iowa.

“Yes, for sure,” Diaz said. “And I’m liking the chance and I’m just going to trust and see what happens this season.”

The buzz surrounding Diaz since he arrived in January has already made him a fan favorite.

“I’m loving it,” Diaz said. “I can feel the energy from the fans. I’m glad to be here.”

Diaz, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds in his Iowa profile, has been working hard to gain both weight and strength since becoming a Hawkeye.

“I definitely would say I feel better, I feel bigger, I feel faster since I’ve been here,” Diaz said.

The hope is that Diaz will add some explosiveness to the Iowa passing attack, which only produced 1,861 passing yards last season.

Tight end DJ Vonnahme led Iowa with 434 receiving yards last season, while former Hawkeye Jacob Gill led the Iowa wide receivers with just 278 receiving yards on 24 catches.

Iowa will have a new starting quarterback this season with 2025 starter Mark Gronowski having used up his eligibility last season.

Sophomore Jeremy Hecklinski and junior Hank Brown are currently in a hotly contested battle for the starting quarterback position, though Diaz has been impressed with all the quarterbacks.

“They can all sling it,” Diaz said.

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