The 2025 football season is almost two months away. The Hawkeyes are coming off of an 8-5 season, which left little to be desired with several losses that should have gone their way.
As we move into the season, let's take a deep dive into this year's team, and let's start with the position that makes fans shiver: Quarterback.
Iowa has struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position since Nate Stanley departed in 2019. With the transfer portal, players, coaches, and fans alike are optimistic that the team may have just found the quarterback to help get the offense going. Let's break down the QB room going into the season.
Starter: Mark Gronowski
Although he has not practiced this spring while recovering from shoulder surgery, Mark Gronowski has succeeded greatly at the FCS level, which he hopes will translate to the FBS. He led the South Dakota State Jackrabbits to a 49-6 record and three FCS championship appearances, winning two.
Passing for over 10,000 yards with 93 touchdowns and only 20 interceptions, there is no doubt that Gronowski has the talent to impact any team he is on. As ESPN scout Tom Luginbill has said about Gronwoski, "All he does is make good decisions and win."
The hype for this transfer is huge coming into the season, but if he can play as well for the Hawkeyes as he did for the Jackrabbits, the Hawkeyes may finally have a solid passing attack again.
Backup: Hank Brown
The transfer portal has been vital for the Hawkeyes' quarterback room. They went into the portal and got a solid backup from Auburn in Hank Brown. The former Tiger played in three games last season and started in their game against New Mexico.
Brown passed for 235 yards and four touchdowns in a dominating 45-19 victory. He also entered the game against Alabama A&M and threw for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Last season was not perfect for him. He had zero touchdowns and three interceptions in the game against Arkansas. The bright spot for him is that he is only a sophomore and will be learning from a great and experienced quarterback.
We may not see much of brown this season, but if he gains some knowledge from Gronowski and sees the field, the Hawkeyes could have a smooth quarterback transition going into next season.
Third String: Jackson Stratton
The only returning quarterback from last season, Jackson Stratton, played in the final three games of the regular season. He tallied 219 yards passing, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. He was efficient, completing 60 percent of his passes.
Most of his completions were within five yards or behind the line of scrimmage, and almost half of his yards came from the 72-yard screen pass touchdowns to Kaleb Johnson against Nebraska.
No question about it: He did what needed to be done offensively, but he never did show that he had what it takes to be the guy in the future.
There is always that possibility that a repeat from last season will come around, and the Hawkyes may need Stratton again. However, being a signal caller for the offense is likely where we will see him this season.
Fourth String: Jeremy Hecklinksi
One of the more surprising transfer portal pickups, Jeremy Hecklinski joined the Hawkeyes after spring practices in May. The former Demon Deacon did not see any action last season, so he will have four years of eligibility.
247 Sports ranked Hecklinski as a three-star prospect out of high school and the 25th best QB in his class. He had an impressive high school career where he passed for 3,385 yards, 50 TDs and 6 INTs in his senior season that also helped lead his high school to a state AAAAAAA championship.
Hecklinski made a splash in the state of Georgia where some of the top recruits in the country are from, and he also put up impressive stats in the highest class. This is what has made him one of the more saught after portal transfers this offseason.
Although it is unlikely that he will see the field this season, Hecklinski's ceiling is very high. If he can continue to improve and adapt to the college level, he could make his way further up the depth chart than where he is now.
This is not a name that Hawkeye fans will want to forget, as it wouldn't shock many if he saw field time next season.
Redshirt: Jimmy Sullivan
The redshirt is likely coming for Jimmy Sullivan this season due to where the QB room currently stands.
247 Sports ranked Sullivan as a three-star quarterback for the Class of 2025 and the No. 63 QB. Sullivan received scholarship offers from Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, and Illinois before choosing Iowa City.
He had a solid career for his high school in Fort Wayne, IN, setting the school record for passing in a career at 5,712. He helped lead his team to a sophomore state championship and a senior sectional championship.
We have seen three-star QBs flourish before under Kirk Ferentz, and time will tell if the same happens for Sullivan. It is unlikely we will see him in action this season.
After a complete overhaul in the quarterback room, the position has depth and potential. Tim Lester will likely incorporate the pass more this season, and we'll see if that can lead to some success in 2025.