Iowa Football struggled for consistency on both sides of the ball last season. The Hawkeyes suffered multiple injuries to offensive players, including starting quarterback Cade McNamara, backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan, and star tight end Luke Lachey.
After transferring to Iowa from Michigan before the 2023-2024 season, McNamara was always injured and highly ineffective when under center. Sullivan showed flashes, but was a better runner than passer.
The offense leaned on the running game and often struggled to put up points when teams limited Kaleb Johnson. Johnson was not limited very often, rushing for 1,537 yards and a program-record 21 touchdowns.
KJ is with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lachey is with the Houston Texans, and multiple defensive players graduated or moved on to the NFL.
The Hawkeyes will look different on offense with new quarterback Mark Gronowski under center and the defense has holes to fill, but no one doubts the defense will be solid. The success of Iowa Football next season hinges on those two aspects falling into place.
The best-case and worst-case scenario for every team in the Big Ten.https://t.co/uKL3yRubMX pic.twitter.com/209LzGYxlr
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 24, 2025
CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli laid out the potential best and worst case scenarios for the Hawkeyes in 2025-2026, focusing on Gronowski and the defense returning to form.
If Gronowski fully recovers from his shoulder injury at South Dakota State and quickly adapts to the better competition in the Big Ten, he can boost Iowa's offense to new heights.
The Hawkeyes' offense has been mediocre since 2020, ranking in the low 70s overall last season. The Hawkeyes do not have to be one-dimensional if Gronowski can solidify the quarterback spot.
The defense also must return to its 2022 form, where it ranked in the top five in yards and points per game allowed.
Fornelli stated that if the Hawkeyes achieve those two things, their best-case scenario is going 10-2 and pushing for a College Football Playoff spot. He went as far as saying they could also upset Oregon, Penn State, or both.
If Gronowski struggles and the defense gets torched weekly, the Hawkeyes will finish 4-8 with losses to Iowa State, Penn State, and Oregon, among others.
The Hawkeyes' success next season is contingent on star transfer Mark Gronowski and future Hall of Fame coach Phil Parker. If they can produce average to above-average quarterback play and the Iowa defense returns to form, they will make some noise next season.