Iowa senior tight end Addison Ostrenga will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an Achilles injury in the first quarter of the Week 2 loss to Iowa State, coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed Tuesday. Ostrenga underwent surgery on Monday.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Ferentz said. “Addison’s a great young guy. You hate to have anybody lose playing time, and he’s one of our senior guys, a leader, just a tremendous young person.”

The injury is another blow to an already strained Hawkeyes offense, struggling despite the addition of South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski. As of Week 2, Iowa ranks tied for last in the FBS with just 3.3 yards per pass attempt and has the lowest passing yards among Power Four teams at 65.5 per game.

Ostrenga caught one pass for eight yards on just two targets before the injury. Over the previous two seasons, the 6-foot-4, 248-pound tight end tallied 46 catches for 306 yards and three touchdowns.

Without Ostrenga, Iowa’s tight end unit will depend on junior Zach Ortwerth and graduate transfer Hayden Large, along with redshirt freshman DJ Vonnahme.

Adding to the woes, promising sophomore wide receiver Reece Vander Zee is expected to be out for about a month with a foot injury, and running back Kamari Moulton is projected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks, per Ferentz.

The ongoing loss of offensive weapons has resulted in a predictable rushing offense, as Iowa runs on 66.7% of its plays, the sixth-highest rate nationally, with a 44% success rate on those carries. This is forcing the team into difficult third-down situations.

In 2024, under first-year offensive coordinator Tim Lester, Iowa averaged 27.7 points per game—72nd in the FBS and eighth in the Big Ten. Early indications for the 2025 season point to continued struggles, and questions regarding the effectiveness of Ferentz’s offensive strategies persist as he remains the longest-serving active coach in the FBS.

With key contributors out and already limited offensive versatility, the Hawkeyes face a daunting task to sustain consistent performance in 2025. The mix of injuries, predictable play-calling, and few passing options puts Iowa in a challenging position, heavily relying on its run game and defensive strength to navigate through the season.