The Hawkeyes have produced some good NFL tight ends over the past 15 years, from Dallas Clark excelling with the Indianapolis Colts a decade ago to San Francisco breakout star George Kittle. Hockenson and fellow junior Iowa tight end Noah Fant will become the next in line. The Chariton, Iowa, native was a three-time first-team all-state pick in high school and spent his first year on campus growing into a Big Ten tight end's frame. Iowa's two-tight end attack allowed him to excel as a redshirt freshman in 2016, making 24 for 320 yards (13.3 average) and three scores in 13 games (12 starts). Even sharing snaps with Fant in 2018, Hockenson won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end and the Big Ten Tight End of the Year award, along with first-team all-conference honors. He started 13 contests in 2018, leading the team with 49 catches for 760 yards (15.5 average) and six touchdowns.

Jahlani Tavai (pronounced jah-lan-ee tah-VIE) is the third member of his family to play college football. One brother, Jordan, was a defensive lineman at Kansas while another, J.R., played linebacker at USC and for the Tennessee Titans. As a redshirt freshman, Tavai started 11 of 13 games played (56 tackles, five for loss, three sacks). He was a first-team All-Mountain West pick in 2016, starting all 14 games and leading the conference with 19.5 tackles for loss (129 total, seven sacks). He was a second-team all-conference selection in 2017, ranking 10th in the FBS with 124 tackles and leading his team with 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. In his senior season, he was suspended for the season opener due to a June arrest for assault at a Honolulu night club and then missed the last month of the season with a shoulder injury. Tavai was named honorable mention all-conference after recording 82 tackles (5.5 for loss, two sacks, forced fumble, blocked kick) in just eight starts.

Harris has been a fixture in the secondary since late in his true freshman season. He started the final three games that year (20 tackles, one INT), playing in all 12 contests. Harris continued to start each of the team's next 26 games, making 47 tackles in 2016 (two INT, six PBU) and jumping to 83 stops the following year (5.5 for loss, one INT, three PBU). He finished strong, collecting nine stops against Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl. Harris started all 12 games as a senior, as well, making 75 tackles and intercepting one pass to earn third-team All-ACC honors. His father, Will, played receiver at Mississippi State from 1989 to 1992 and was drafted in the seventh round by Buffalo in 1993.

Bryant put himself in the conversation as yet another top-notch Clemson defensive end prospect with an outstanding junior year in 2017, starting all 14 games and taking advantage of some great talent around him. He was a third-team Associated Press All-American and second-team All-ACC pick, accumulating 15.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks on the year. He had another successful year in 2018, helping his team win a national title and earning third-team All-ACC honors with 44 tackles, 14.5 for loss, and eight sacks. He was a top 150 prospect nationally coming out of high school and found playing time as a true freshman in 2015 (35 tackles, two for loss, in 13 games). Bryant shared the team's 12th Man Award as a sophomore (16 tackles, three for loss, two sacks).

Oruwariye (pronounced OH-rue-war-ee-AY) began to show his potential as a lockdown corner his junior season in 2017, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors despite not starting in 11 games played. He intercepted four passes and broke up eight others as a reserve, making 28 tackles. Oruwariye was a starter in 2018, earning first-team all-conference nod by leading the Nittany Lions with 12 pass breakups and tying for the team lead with three interceptions, to go along with 51 tackles (two for loss) in 13 starts. He was a reserve as a freshman (five tackles, one PBU in 13 games) and sophomore, as well, though his playing time was more significant in 2016 (23 tackles, one INT, one PBU).

Fulghum's parents were Foreign Service Officers, so he did not live in the United States until his high school years (though he was born in Virginia when his mother was there for training). He walked on to ODU with only two years' playing experience in high school and worked his way into a scholarship quickly. Fulgham contributed as a redshirt freshman (6-89-8.9) and then started all 13 games in 2016 (29-478-16.5, eight TD). His game took a step back in 2017 (30-394-13.1, one TD) with only seven starts in 12 appearances. Fulgham formed a strong duo with Jonathan Duhart in 2018, joining his teammate on the second-team All-Conference USA squad and leading the conference with 1,083 receiving yards (63 receptions, 17.2 average) and scoring nine times in 12 games (eight starts) for the Monarchs.

Johnson was not used to losing when he arrived on the Maryland campus, coming from a high school team that had not lost a game in two seasons. He got on the field right away, playing in 12 games as a backup in 2015 (35-250-7.1, three TD rushing; 2-30-15.0 receiving; 5-125-25.0 kick returns). Johnson became the man as a sophomore, leading the team in rushing (110-1,004, six TD) and setting a school record with 9.1 yards per rush. He also caught 16 passes for 206 yards (12.9 average) and a score in 13 games (eight starts). He again led the team in rushing and collected honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a junior, rushing for 875 yards and five scores on 137 carries (6.4 average) and excelling as a kick returner (27-657-24.3, one TD). His senior season was a bit of a letdown, due to a calf injury and the appearance of young Anthony McFarland on the scene. Johnson started nine games in 2018, averaging 7.7 yards per carry but only getting the ball 77 times (509 yards, three TD). He did return a kickoff for a second straight season (14-381-27.2).

Nauta (pronounced NAW-tah) started his career with the Bulldogs with a bang, earning Freshman All-American honors from several media outlets after catching 29 passes for 361 yards (12.4 average) and three scores. This success was not surprising given Nauta's status as the top tight end prospect in the country coming out of Florida's IMG Academy (where he transferred for his senior year after winning three state titles at Buford High School in Georgia). His production dropped in his sophomore year, as he made only nine catches for 114 yards and one score (12.7 average) in 15 games (nine starts). Nauta bounced back as a junior, starting 13 of 14 games played and grabbing a career-high 30 receptions for 430 yards (14.3 average) and three touchdowns.

Johnson has two young children and decided that instead of returning to the Wildcats for his senior season, he needed to move on to the professional ranks as soon as possible to support them. He played in 10 games in 2018, garnering honorable mention All-Pac-12 notice after recording 31 tackles, 8.5 for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a safety. Prior to arriving in Tucson, Johnson played at the City College of San Francisco in 2017 (17 tackles 8.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks in 10 games). He spent two years at Sacramento State, redshirting in 2016 after playing 11 games as a true freshman (13 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one sack). Johnson played football, basketball, and baseball at Burbank High School in Sacramento before signing with Sac State.