Iowa's best high school football players: Meet the state's top tight ends

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a position-by-position look at some of the top players in Iowa high school football. This list focuses on tight ends. 

There are hundreds of standout football players in Iowa and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Let us know about any other tight ends worthy of fans’ attention in 2023.

Jacob Simpson, 6-5, 220, Sr., Johnston

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end out of Johnston is the No. 7 player in Iowa and No. 37 tight end in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite. He committed to Minnesota in June and held nine other Division I offers. Simpson was Johnston’s most targeted receiver last season, with a team-high 40 receptions. He recorded 559 yards and six touchdowns. The Dragons’ senior was a key player in Johnston qualifying for the state semifinals in the UNI-Dome for the first time in school history. This season, he has 32 catches for 542 yards and seven touchdowns.

Keaton Roskop, 6-3, 215, Sr., Linn-Mar

Roskop committed to Iowa State last spring. The three-star tight end also had offers from Kansas State, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa and Army. He had 20 catches for 415 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Unfortunately, Roskop tore his ACL in the second game of the season, but Iowa State envisions him as a tight end in its offensive system.

Carson Bruhn, 6-5, 210, Sr., Sioux Center

The Sioux Center multi-sport star committed to the University of Kansas in April. He is listed as a three-star recruit and the nation’s 37^th best tight end in the Class of 2024, according top 247Sports. He chose the Jayhawks over offers from Kansas State, Minnesota and Missouri. Bruhn has 12 catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns and has recorded 14 tackles, including five for loss.

Thomas Meyer, 6-5, 220, Jr., Clear Lake

The 4-star prospect is being recruited by the likes of Iowa, Iowa State and several other Division I programs. He has 19 receptions for 335 yards and four touchdowns this season. That’s after he had 309 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. Last season, he recorded 38 tackles, including 31 solo and 10 for loss and this season has 19 overall stops at defensive end.

Brady McDonald, 6-3, 210, Sr., Independence

Not only is McDonald an outstanding football player, he is a state wrestling placewinner and state track qualifier. This season, McDonald has 33 receptions for 264 yards and four touchdowns, along with 25 tackles and two sacks at linebacker. As a junior, he hauled in 40 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns. McDonald attended a number of collegiate camps over the summer, but has yet to make a decision on his future.

Abram Edwards, 6-5, 215, Sr., Winfield-Mt. Union

Edwards committed to Army in June and is projected as a tight end for the Cadets. He was an all-district selection last season after charting 31 receptions for 392 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 339 yards and nine touchdowns and recording 26 tackles, 13 for loss and 6.5 sacks. This season, he has 10 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns, along with 27.0 tackles, 5.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks at defensive end.

Kannon Bork, 6-2, 215, Sioux City Bishop Heelan 

A two-way starter for the Crusaders, Bork was an all-district pick as a junior after hauling in 19 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown and recording 28.5 tackles and three sacks. Heelan is putting together its best season in the past several and Bork is a reason why, with four of his 11 receptions going for touchdowns. As a defensive lineman, he has 19 tackles, including six for loss, and three sacks.

Chase Schutty, 6-5, 210, Sr., Ankeny Centennial

Schutty was an impact player for the Jaguars basketball team and he’s also a star on the football field. His 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame is translatable to the college tight end position. He had 28 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns last season and has 12 catches for 206 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Colton Leichty, 6-1, 185, Sr., WACO

Leichty is a two-way standout for the Warriors, earning first team all-district honors as a junior. He has 16 receptions for 170 yards and three touchdowns and on defense, he has 37.5 tackles, 13.5 for loss and five sacks. WACO is one of the top teams in 8-player football.

Charlie Cross, 6-0, 185, Sr., Waukee

Cross plays h-back for the Warriors and is a multi-year starter. He has 12 catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns this season for a 5-2 squad looking to make the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. As a junior, Cross had 24 receptions for 243 yards, an average of 10.1 yards per catch.

Jake Leonard, 6-3, 215, Sr., Madrid

Leonard is a multi-sport athlete who plays football, basketball and baseball. He has offers from Wayne State, Upper Iowa and Drake. Leonard averaged 13.2 yards per catch last season for the Tigers.

Tiernan Vokes, 6-4, 210, Jr., Grundy Center

Vokes had a huge game last week in a homecoming win over South Hardin where he had three receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns, with a long of 68. He has made 22 catches for 404 yards and eight scores this fall while recording five tackles for loss and four sacks defensively. "Tiernan has had a tremendous season up to this point, “ said Grundy Center Coach Travis Zajac. “ He plays multiple offensive positions for us and excels at all of them. We're really proud of his growth on defense. He is tied for the team lead in sacks and continues to impact games from his defensive end position." Vokes also plays basketball and was a state qualifier in track.

Kolton Koopmans, 6-2, 195, Jr., West Sioux

Koopmans ranks second in Class 1A with 38 receptions, turning them into 346 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, he has 22 tackles, including five for loss. Koopmans was a solid two-way contributor on the Falcons’ state runner-up team last season with 19 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns, along with 35 tackles (8 for loss) and a fumble recovery.

Breadon Godfread, 6-2, 175, Jr., Sidney

Godfread is a jack of all trades for the Cowboys, with 15 catches for 267 yards and four touchdowns, 268 rushing yards and six touchdowns and a team-leading 44 tackles at safety. Godfread was a first team All-Corner Conference pick in basketball as a sophomore.

Brady Kurt, 6-1, 160, Jr., Independence

Kurt is third in Class 3A in both receptions with 42 and yards with 673 and seven touchdowns. As a sophomore last season, Kurt hauled in 31 catches for 549 yards and six touchdowns.

Dalton Weepie, 6-2, 205, Jr., Dunkerton

Weepie has a team-high 28 receptions for 535 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 19.1 yards per catch. He was a sophomore starter for the Raiders’ basketball team that qualified for the state tournament.

Ty Joss, 6-0, 175, Sr., Iowa City Regina

Joss is a solid two-way performer for the Regals. At tight end, he has 18 receptions for 413 yards and eight touchdowns and at linebacker, has recorded 21.5 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and two sacks and two interceptions. Joss is also a soccer standout.

Cael Reichter, 6-7, 185, Jr. North Fayette

The lanky Reichter has averaged 18.8 yards per catch, hauling in 26 for 490 yards. At defensive end, he has recorded 35 tackles, 21 of those solo. Reichter averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game in basketball as a sophomore.

Cruz DeJong, 5-9, 170, Sr., Montezuma

DeJong has caught 20 passes for 210 yards and four touchdowns, averaging just over 10 yards per catch. An accomplished golfer, DeJong tied for 11^th in the Class 1A state meet last spring.

J’Quari Willis, 6-3, 185, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington

Although his team hasn’t experienced much success, Willis has been a quality receiver. He has averaged 14.5 yards in 10 receptions with two touchdowns. Willis was a key reserve in basketball last winter.

Mitch Stevens, 5-10, 180, Sr., West Bend-Mallard

Playing for a team that relies mainly on its ground game, Stevens is the team’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns. At linebacker, he has amassed 38.5 tackles, including 5.5 for loss.

Nick Merrifield, 6-3, 190, Sr., Columbus Catholic

The versatile Merrifield has 34 catches for 454 yards and eight touchdowns. A three-time all-metro baseball pick, Merrifield is also a basketball standout for the Sailors.

Jake Schulz, 6-2, 235, Sr., Bettendorf

His 20 catches have resulted in 443 yards and six touchdowns. Schulz was also a contributor for the Bulldogs last season, getting five catches for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Declan DeJong, 6-0, 200, Soph., Moravia

The Mohawks have been putting up some big numbers in the 8-player game, scoring 50 or more points in each of their last six games, including efforts of 80 and 74. DeJong, just a sophomore, has contributed 19 receptions for 362 yards and six touchdowns.

Dayne Mauk, 6-3, 210, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes

Mauk may be best known as a defensive player, but he has caught 23 passes for 323 yards and six touchdowns from his tight end spot. An all-district baseball player, Mauk has football offers from Northwest Missouri State and Wayne State, among others.

-- Barry Poe