IOWA CITY -- Prior to Saturday in Kinnick Stadium, Iowa freshman Reece Vander Zee hadn't played wide receiver in two years. He didn't even join his new teammates in Iowa City for the first time until fall camp due to an injury he sustained this spring.
"I was a little behind," he said of getting on the practice field later than his fellow freshmen. "But I got caught up to speed pretty fast, I only had a buffer of a few days. Then I was able to get to work and go out there and have fun."
The Rock Rapids, Iowa native had some fun in his college football debut.
In the Hawkeyes' 40-0 victory over Illinois State, the former three-star wideout caught five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Acting head coach Seth Wallace said the performance by Vander Zee -- who found out he'd be starting within the last week -- didn't come as a surprise to him or the staff.
"Reece probably for the first two weeks of camp was a freshman, and he was in a freshman role," Wallace. "Our offensive guys started to see some things that he was doing that gave them the confidence to put him in there and see how he swims with some of these other guys. So they did, and there were plays that were made, plays very similar to the ones that you guys saw today. So no, not surprised."
At the same time, it was Vander Zee's first college football game in front of 70,000 people.
"He goes out there and makes some of those plays, like the one where we were headed to the north side that he caught over the middle," Wallace said. "Those were impactful plays. So not surprised at all. Just to do it in a college football environment -- I think that says a lot about Reece."
Cade McNamara -- who threw both touchdown passes to Vander Zee -- was taken off guard more than Wallace was.
"It was a little bit surprising," McNamara smiled. "I think he really started gaining a lot of momentum towards the end of camp. And I mean, as you guys were able to see it, his ability to go up and get it and make plays was something that he was gaining some traction through."
Like Wallace, Iowa's starting quarterback was thrilled with his new weapon's performance.
"I'm just so stoked for him because as a true freshman, you don't know how guys are going to react in game situations," he said. "I'm just so proud of him, the way that he was able to perform. And something that's so impressive to me is just how unfazed he is by everything."
Vander Zee's first touchdown came at the beginning of the second half -- the first of his career and the first of the 2024 season for the Hawkeyes.
"We ran a play like that earlier in the game, where it was just a little behind me," Vander Zee said. "I knew that I was gonna be there again, so I just had to get to my spot, and Cade threw a good ball, and we connected."
The second score came with McNamara under pressure, throwing a go-up-and-get-it ball to the freshman. The play clock was dwindling closer to zero prior to the snap as well.
"I knew the clock was winding down," Vander Zee said. "[Cade] was actually gonna switch it to a different play, and that's what I heard. And then he kind of just said, all right, we don't have time. So yeah, I just went in there as a play action and sneak out a little bit and saw the ball hanging up there. I was like, 'Alright, I'll go get it.'"
Vander Zee got to celebrate with some of his former high school teammates after the win, too. He said he was able to share a few moments with redshirt freshman Zach Lutmer and walk-on Graham Eben, who both attended Central Lyon/George-Little Rock as well.
"[With Zach], it was just kind of like us being best friends back in high school again," Vander Zee said. "Just going out there and playing on the biggest stages. And then, Graham even comes up to me, and he's like, 'I'm so happy for you!' It was crazy."
Vander Zee credits his time in northwest Iowa for his development to this point.
"I take extreme pride in being from there," the freshman wideout said. "It shaped who I am. We do things right up there. ... They teach toughness and grit and it's exactly what they teach you here. So yeah, Central Lyon, they prepared me incredibly well for this."
Wallace chimed in on the state's ability to form players like Vander Zee as well.
"I credit that to the state of Iowa, to the football here in the state and the players that play in the state," he said. "He hasn't looked like a 17 or 18-year-old. It's been pretty obvious he can go out there and compete. We're fortunate to have his frame, his size. It's not like we're looking at this two years down the road trying to build this body. Obviously he needs a lot of work when it comes to his physical development, but there's already some that has taken place. He's tough-minded, too, and he certainly didn't flinch today."
