The 2025-2026 Iowa Hawkeyes Football squad is an enigma. Multiple starters and coaches are returning, but we do not clearly understand what this year's squad will look like.
Iowa's quarterback room returns only one contributor from last season (Jackson Stratton), and multiple transfers were added, including projected starter Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State), Hank Brown, and Jeremy Hecklinski. Early enrollee Jimmy Sullivan is also on the squad.
The running backs room will also look drastically different from a season ago.
After four seasons as the running backs coach, Iowa legend Ladell Betts left the Hawkeyes staff for the NFL and was replaced by Omar Young. Young will face the challenge of replacing superstar running back Kaleb Johnson, whom the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Johnson was a workhorse for the Hawkeye offense, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
Over the past few weeks, the 2025-2026 schedule has been taking shape. The Hawkeyes will have several primetime games this season, but here are Iowa's top three most important games next season.
September 6 - Iowa at Iowa State (Ames, Iowa)
The importance of this game goes without saying. Whoever captures the Cy-Hawk rivalry game normally goes on to have a solid season. It is at the beginning of the season and sets the tone for the remainder.
Iowa has dominated the series, going 47-24 overall, including a six-game winning streak between 2015 and 2021. The series has been more evenly split over the past five seasons, with the Hawkeyes winnng three.
Last season, the Cyclones left Iowa City with a win on a last-second 54-yard field goal and went on to have one of the best seasons in program history, winning 11 games (a school record) and upsetting Miami 42-41 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
The Hawkeyes finished 8-5 and lost 27-24 to Missouri in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
This will be new quarterback Mark Gronowski's first true road test, and the Hawkeyes must leave Ames with a win to start the season on a high note.
September 19 - Iowa at Rutgers (Piscataway, NJ)
Normally, Rutgers would not be on a list of important games for the Hawkeyes. Iowa has dominated the Scarlet Knights since they joined the Big Ten, but this season's game carries more weight.
It is the first Big Ten Conference game for the Hawkeyes, and is the first conference game on the road for new starting quarterback Mark Gronowski.
SHI Stadium is never an easy place to play and the Hawkeyes need to leave New Jersey with a win to start the season 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference. The game also holds more weight this season because this is the first season there won't be divisions in the Big Ten.
Every conference game is more important because Iowa cannot take advantage of the traditionally weaker Big Ten West.
October 18 - Iowa vs. Penn State (Iowa City, Iowa)
We all know what happens when teams travel to Iowa City for a night game at Kinnick Stadium. More often than not, it is where ranked teams go to die. We do not know if Penn State is/will be ranked at this time of the season, but traditionally, one or both of these teams are ranked ahead of the matchup.
Iowa has had Penn State's number over the past few seasons, including a 23-20 win in 2021 and a 41-21 win in 202. The Nittany Lions did grab a 31-0 win in 2023 in State College, PA. The Hawkeye wins were during night games, one in Iowa City and one in State College.
This game is crucial because it would give the Hawkeyes a win over a playoff team from last year and set the tone for a tough stretch of games. After the Penn State game, rival Minnesota comes to town, followed by Oregon.
After three straight home games, the Hawkeyes head to Los Angeles to battle USC.
All of these games are important, but when Iowa beats Penn State, good things tend to happen.