Kittle was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and at an early age, the family relocated to Iowa. He went to Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma; Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa.[1][2] He pledged to play collegiate football at the University of Iowa.[3] His father, Bruce Kittle, is a former college football coach who was a four-year letterman and co-captain of Iowa’s 1982 Rose Bowl team. His mother, Jan Krieger, played softball and earned All-America basketball accolades at Drake University. She is inducted into the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame.
Kittle was a member of the Iowa squad under head coach Kirk Ferentz from 2012 to 2016.[1][6][7] Kittle had a little part as a freshman, trailing sophomore Jake Duzey, junior Ray Hamilton, and senior C. J. Fiedorowicz.[8] Against the Missouri State Bears, he caught his first pass as a college, going for 47 yards.[9] He hauled in five receptions for a total of 108 yards.[10]
For Kittle, Iowa’s tight end unit was still packed in 2014. Junior Henry Krieger-Coble brought depth, as did the return of Duzey and Hamilton. Kittle’s only grab of the season came against Maryland on a single reception for 25 yards.
Kittle played a larger part in the 2015 campaign. His first college touchdown came on September 26, 2015, against North Texas, when quarterback C. J. Beathard hit him on a 43-yard reception.[12] Kittle finished the 2015 season with 20 receptions for 290 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.[13] Sixth in the Big Ten Conference with six receiving touchdowns was him.[14]
Kittle led a tight end group in 2016 as a senior that also included freshman Noah Fant and junior Peter Pekar.[15] With five receptions for 110 receiving yards versus North Dakota State, he had his greatest statistical performance to date.[16] He collected 22 receptions for 314 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns during his final year.[17] Throughout his time in college, Kittle caught 48 passes for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns.