Iowa tight end Luke Lachey is ‘most likely’ done for season after needing surgery

IOWA CITY — Iowa tight end Luke Lachey is “most likely” out for the rest of the season, head coach Kirk Ferentz said, after having surgery Tuesday.

“He’ll be fine here in time, but it’s a significant injury,” Ferentz said. “He’s going to be out for quite awhile here.”

Lachey exited Iowa’s game against Western Michigan in the first quarter without putting any weight on his right side.

It is a major loss for the Hawkeyes’ receiving corps. Lachey, who was on the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award, had a team-high 10 receptions for 131 yards through Iowa’s first two games.

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Running backs Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson are out for Iowa’s Week 4 game against Penn State with “lower leg” injuries, Ferentz said Tuesday. Their recoveries are on a “more week-to-week basis.”

"Hopefully sooner than later,“ Ferentz said.

Johnson also missed Iowa’s game against Western Michigan. Patterson had six carries in the first half before being taken out of the game.

Johnson was the team’s leading rusher last year with 779 yards while averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a true freshman. He has averaged 2.7 yards per carry on 34 attempts this year.

Patterson, a redshirt freshman, had a breakout game against Iowa State. He rushed for 86 yards on 10 carries in the Hawkeyes’ 20-13 win.

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