Even though Iowa is riding high after knocking off Iowa State to reclaim the Cy-Hawk Trophy, some of the wind has been taken out of its sails.
Iowa's offense was nowhere near as lethal in week two as in week one, putting up 287 total yards, compared to 507. The running game struggled uncharacteristically against Iowa State, rushing for 93 total yards and one touchdown, but the passing game stepped up. Hank Brown had a solid performance, racking up 191 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, but he still wasn't named the starter.
Hank Brown doesn't have a 'clear answer' about the week three starter
Everyone expected a lengthy starting quarterback battle, but no one expected it to last this long. Ferentz has held to his assertion that the competition could stretch into the regular season, but almost three weeks in, neither potential starter has any clarity on the situation.
Hank Brown says he hasn’t been named the starter for Northern Iowa.
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) September 15, 2026
“There’s been no clear answer.”
Jeremy Hecklinski was not made available to the media. pic.twitter.com/8bJTMyn588
When asked who would start against Northern Illinois, Brown said there's been no clear answer, and he is still focusing on doing everything possible to prepare for UNI. It was also telling that Hecklinski was not made available to the media. If he is still in the mix, he should be available for questions, and that wasn't the case earlier this week.
Brown got the first crack at running the offense in week one before splitting reps with Jeremy Hecklinski later in the Northern Illinois game, and his performance earned him another start. Brown also started week two and never left the game. Ferentz claimed that both quarterbacks would play in week two, but Hecklinski never got a chance. He also said after the Iowa State game that "game flow" prompted him to stick with Brown, but not giving Hecklinski a chance was very revealing.
Multiple factors seem to be working against Hecklinski in this competition, but Ferentz continues dangling the starting job in front of him. If this were a true competition, Hecklinski would have gotten reps against Iowa State, and he would've been made available to the media. Ferentz has given more opportunities to Brown, including a full game of reps, signaling that he might have already.
Ferentz needs to rip the Bandaid off and name Brown the starter
Hecklinski had some brilliant moments in the offseason, including a dynamic Kids Day open practice where he torched the defense, but he hasn't really had a chance to showcase what he can do. He split reps with Brown in week one, including playing the entire third quarter, but hasn't been in a game since. Brown has now racked up two starts and has played well, but has been given a much bigger opportunity to grow in the offense.
At this point, Ferentz needs to stop messing around and name Brown as the starter to remove all of the uncertainty. It is understandable that he wants to be absolutely sure they are making the right decision, but they haven't shared anything with either quarterback. Regardless of the motivations behind delaying the decision, it isn't helping either player. If Brown were given the job after week two, he would have another full game against UNI to prepare for a tough Michigan squad, but instead, there is still an "OR" on the depth chart.
Something is preventing Ferentz from deciding, and the longer he waits, the more damage it will cause.
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