Iowa's roster will be put to the test early and often next season, and fall camp gives us our last look at what the squad might look like before the season begins.
Fall camp for the Hawkeyes begins this week with multiple uncertainties across the lineup. The program returns only 10 starters, leaving the door open for players to earn expanded roles. While some positions are clearly set, many others aren't, and we have three of the biggest position battles to watch during fall camp and into the start of the 2026-2027 season.
The starting quarterback
Everyone who has followed the program this offseason is well aware that the quarterback position battle was going to be a main focus for the offense, and that has continued throughout the spring and summer. The two projected starting options are Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, with Jimmy Sullivan likely slotting in as the No. 3. Hecklinski had the upper hand early on Brown after supplanting him as Mark Grownowski's backup last season, but both players have performed well during the offseason.
Ferentz stated that both quarterbacks performed extremely well during spring practices and, at Big Ten Football Media Days, admitted that they don't yet know who their starting quarterback is. He announced that the competition could last well into August and even into the first few weeks of the season as they find the best fit. Each quarterback brings something a little different to the table, with Hecklinski being more of a gunslinger and scrambler, while Brown is much more of a pocket passer with a stronger arm.
Each player has done well enough to be in the conversation at this point, but if they are as close as Ferentz and the staff say they are, here is how the depth chart should look after fall camp:
Starter: Jeremy Hecklinski
Backup: Hank Brown
Third-string: Jimmy Sullivan
Left and right guard
The Hawkeyes' offensive line unit has traditionally been a veteran-led group, and while that could continue this season, George Barnett and the rest of the staff have the difficult task of replacing three starters on the Joe Moore Award-winning unit from last season. All-American Beau Stephens, All-American and Rimington Trophy winner Logan Jones, and Gennings Dunker all headed to the NFL, leaving only Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck as returning starters. Both Lauck and Pieper are extremely talented and have the potential to be first-round draft picks if they declare after this season, but that still leaves three holes on the line.
The program is moving Pieper to center out of necessity, and Lauck is all but locked in as a starting tackle, leaving the left guard, right guard, and right tackle spots open. With Jack Dotzler narrowly losing out to Lauck last offseason, he has a good chance to claim the other starting tackle spot, which narrows the vacancies to two with multiple players vying for expanded roles. Veteran Michael Myslinski is back for his sixth season after suffering a myriad of injuries during his career, and took snaps at center and guard this offseason. The Hawkeyes also have Cael Winter, Cannon Leonard, Leighton Jones, and transfer Trent Wilson in the mix.
Heading into fall camp, we have the likely rotation for the offensive line next season:
Left tackle: Jack Dotzler
Left guard: Leighton Jones
Center: Kade Pieper
Right guard: Trent Wilson
Right tackle: Trevor Lauck
The entire defensive line
The Hawkeyes' defense has taken a lot of hits across the board, especially on the defensive line. Iowa has run a base 4-5-2 defense for multiple years, and all four starters up front from last season are gone. Aaron Graves (graduation), Ethan Hurkett (graduation), Max Llewellyn (graduation), and Brian Allen Jr. (transfer) have left the program, leaving a lot of question marks up front. That doesn't mean Iowa doesn't have talented players waiting to step up, but many new faces will take on bigger roles.
The two players who are the most likely to start are Iose Epenesa and Bryce Hawthorne, with the rest of the starting spots up for grabs. With Epenesa starting at one of the end spots and Hawthorne at one of the DT spots, that leaves two openings, and here are who could be the projected starters headed into fall camp.
Left end: Iose Epenesa
Defensive tackle: Bryce Hawthorne
Defensive tackle: Brice Stevenson
Right end: Kenneth Merrieweather
Iowa has a lot of unproven talent, and it will be interesting to see who emerges after fall camp wraps up and the season gets underway.
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