#14 Tony Diaz Season 2026-27

2026 Honors -- Hispanic College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List... The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week Honorable Mention (9/8)... 2026 -- Started all eight games at wide receiver... leads the team with 33 catches for 461 yards (long of 57 yards) and two touchdowns, and has rushed seven times for 65 yards (long of 20 yards) this season... the 461 yards is the most by an Iowa receiver since 2024 (Jacob Gill-411)... led team with eight catches for 95 yards - including a long of 56 yards in the second quarter that set up Iowa's first touchdown of the game - in 16-13 win over Iowa State... led team with seven catches for 84 yards and one touchdown (long of 24 yards) and rushed once for 10 yards in 40-0 season-opening shutout vs. Northern Illinois... caught five passes for 59 yards (long of 25 yards) and rushed once for eight yards in 14-31 loss to #5/6 Ohio State... caught four passes for 75 yards (long of 45 yards) and one touchdown and rushed once for a career-high 20 yards in 30-0 shutout vs. Wisconsin... caught three passes for 46 yards (long of 32 yards)  in 20-19 come-frome-behind win at #18 Michigan... caught three passes for 23 yards (long of 13 yards) and rushed once for 10 yards in 41-24 win at Washington... his one reception for 57 yards kicked off Iowa's fourth-quarter touchdown drive in 10-13 loss at Minnesota... also rushed twice for nine yards (long of five yards) at Minnesota.

2024-25 at UTRGV -- Redshirted in 2024… named Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention and Freshman All-American by Phil Steele… earned Phil Steele 2025 Southland Freshman of the Year and second team all-conference honors… finished seventh in Jerry Rice Award voting… earned Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and All-Conference First Team recognition… two-time National Freshman of the Week Honorable Mention (Nov. 17 & Oct. 27)… Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 17)… ranked sixth in the FCS and first in the Southland in receiving touchdowns (11), 14th in the FCS and third in the Southland in receptions per game (5.67), 32nd in the FCS and second in the Southland in receiving yards (875), 34th in the FCS and third in the Southland in receiving yards per game (72.9), 44th in the FCS and second in the Southland in total touchdowns (11), 102nd in the FCS and eighth in the Southland in total points scored (66), 103rd in the FCS and eighth in the Southland in scoring (5.5), 146th in the FCS and 10th in the Southland in all-purpose yards per game (72.83), and 180th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in yards per receptions (12.87)… posted four games of 100+ receiving yards, including a career-high 172 vs. UIW on 17 receptions, the third-most in Southland history… scored touchdowns in nine games, including a career-high three as part of 134-yard performance at McNeese… made four catches for 133 yards and one touchdown at Southeastern… made six catches for 121 yards and one touchdown at Prairie View A&M.

 

High School Honors -- Earned first-team all-district honors as a wide receiver and second-team all-district recognition as a defensive back. Career -- Finished career with 2,216 yards while making 95 catches and scoring 29 touchdowns… also recorded 15 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown and one punt return.

Personal -- Born 7/21/2006... communication studies major... son of Jessica Diaz... has three siblings (Layla, Isaiah, Malakai)… high school coach was John Walsh.