Iowa’s offense dealt another blow after loss of Erick All to torn ACL
Iowa tight end Erick All (83) blocks for kicker Drew Stevens (18) on a field goal attempt during the second quarter against Purdue Saturday October 7, 2023 at Kinnick Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
Iowa’s star tight end suffered a lower leg injury in the victory over Wisconsin, and now the offense is left with another hurdle to overcome.
There’s no denying Erick All has been the Hawkeyes’ top playmaker this season. After all, he stepped his game up after fellow tight end Luke Lachey went down with a season-ending injury. Now All, along with quarterback Cade McNamara and Lachey are Iowa’s offensive studs that got bit by the injury bug. He tore his ACL and it will require surgery.
It’s no mystery that All’s loss is going to hurt Iowa’s lethargic offense even more now. The former Michigan Wolverine currently leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Now Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz is scrambling around trying to find a new safety net for Deacon Hill to throw to .
Replacing All’s leadership, experience and production won’t be an easy task for Ferentz. All knew how to locate the ball at its’ highest point. Not to mention he was very fluid for his six-foot-five, 250-pound frame. All was really starting to heat up too. The Ohio native caught at least one pass in every game this fall.
All hauled in a touchdown pass in the season-opening victory over Utah State. He generated four catches for 67 yards and a score in the win over Michigan State. His 22-yard touchdown catch against Purdue was a season-high. Iowa is 6-1 and ranked in the AP top-25 because the players have embraced that next man up mentality.
Iowa is ‘Tight End U’ so there should be another stud waiting to spread his wings. Tight ends are so important in the Hawkeyes’ offense because they block on running and passing plays, and they often have to come up with the clutch catches.
Now Iowa has a physical rivalry game with Minneota looming. Zach Ortwerth, Johnny Pascuzzi, Steven Stilianos and Addison Ostrenga are the other tight ends on the Hawkeyes’ roster. All of them will need to be ready if their number is called. Regardless, judging from the history of how Iowa uses the tight end position as a USB port, someone should be able to fill in nicely to keep the offense moving forward.
