Iowa football’s leading receiver reportedly out for part of season

IOWA CITY — Iowa football has reportedly suffered its first loss of the season.

Reece Vander Zee, the Hawkeyes’ leading receiver, suffered a “freak accident” in practice Wednesday that led to a foot injury, according to a report from CBS Sports.

Iowa officials would not confirm the news.

The sophomore receiver is expected to miss a month of the regular season.

Vander Zee played a large part in Iowa’s offense last year, starting in eight games for 176 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman. He was listed second on the depth ahead of the Hawkeyes’ Week 1 opponent against Albany, behind Chattanooga transfer Sam Phillips.

The Big Ten requires teams to release availability reports at least two hours before kickoff each week.

Vander Zee missed seven games last season with another injury, and said during the offseason he focused on strengthening his body to become more explosive.

The Hawkeyes have four additional receivers listed on their two-deep. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said throughout the preseason he’s been impressed with the wide receiver room’s development, and how they’ve grown since the start of training camp.

Ferentz also reported that at the end of training camp there had been no major health issues with the roster. The Hawkeyes had a few players miss some time due to minor injuries, but nothing initially impacted the team’s 2-deep.

Iowa kicks off against Albany at 6 p.m. at Kinnick Stadium.

Comments: madison.hricik@thegazette.com