Luke Lachey on decision to return to Iowa: ‘There’s so much I thought I had left to prove’

When the 2023 season ended, Luke Lachey had a decision to make. He only played in three games as a redshirt junior at Iowa before a season-ending injury and had another year of eligibility remaining if he wanted to use it.

But there was also the allure of the NFL Draft. Lachey watched on – like many of us – as former teammate Sam LaPorta broke out for the Detroit Lions as a rookie. Considering he had four touchdowns and nearly 400 yards in 2022, Lachey likely would’ve had an opportunity to hear his name called.

Ultimately, he chose to run it back in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes look to bounce back on offense. His reason was simple. He had unfinished business.

“I think the biggest thing for me is just there’s so much I thought I had left to prove, and still do, at Iowa,” Lachey told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3 at Big Ten Media Days. “It’s just such a great spot. I really couldn’t see myself leaving.

“I just felt like the opportunity was there with a lot of guys that were also planning on coming back. Just couldn’t have made a better decision, in my opinion.”

Lachey appeared ready for a big step forward in 2023 after LaPorta’s departure, but a “significant” leg injury cut his season short after three games. During that time, he had 10 receptions for 131 yards.

Now, Luke Lachey will seek to help lead an Iowa offense which will try to take on a new look. Brian Ferentz is out as offensive coordinator, and Tim Lester is in. He inherits a unit that ranked 132nd out of 133 teams last year in scoring and last in total offense in 2023.

But beyond his work on the field, Kirk Ferentz said Lachey is a strong presence in the locker room. That adds to the influence he has with the Hawkeyes.

“He’s just one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” Ferentz said. “He’s unbelievably just a nice human being, a really first-class guy. I think we all suspect and know that he’s a really good football player, but I think maybe as impressive as anything I saw was the way he handled a very disappointing injury last year.

“He was fully engaged, fully immersed, and did a great job working with the other guys that were playing where he was supposed to be playing. That’s as high a compliment, and that’s why he’s here right now, the team selected him as one of our leaders. It’s not even close. He’s up there at the top.”