After Mark Gronowski rides off into the sunset following the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Hawkeyes will be without a starting quarterback next season.
Gronowski gave the Iowa offense its first solid starting quarterback since Nate Stanley in 2019, and after he graduates, Kirk Ferentz and his staff will have the challenging task of replacing him.
After Gronowski transferred from South Dakota State to Iowa in January, the Hawkeyes had a completely revamped quarterback room from last season.
The room consisted of four new quarterbacks, Hank Brown, Mark Gronowski, Jeremy Hecklinski, Jimmy Sullivan, and Ryan Fitzgerald, with Jackson Stratton as the only returning player.
Brown, Fitzgerald, Hecklinski, and Sullivan have combined for 23 total passes for the Hawkeyes. If the Hawkeyes decide to once again dip into the portal, we have the top three potential fits.
We are operating under the assumption that Iowa's checkbook is not limitless, and they are looking at a similar quarterback to Gronowski, with some dual-threat ability, to fit Tim Lester's system.
No. 1: Kenny Minchey (Notre Dame)
Former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey was barely beaten out by CJ Carr for the starting job going into the 2025 season, and now he is looking for another opportunity elsewhere.
Minchey was ranked as a four-star prospect coming out of Pope John Paul II High School in Tennessee, and has the size (six-foot-one, 204-pounds) and athleticism to be a solid starting quarterback at a Power Four program.
According to his scouting report from 247Sports coming out of high school, Minchey "displays good athleticism and mobility to extend plays outside the pocket."
He also possesses a "quick release and can make any throw on the football field."
If Iowa is willing to open up the checkbook to pry Minchey away from multiple SEC programs that are looking at him, he would be a great fit for the Iowa offense next season.
247Sports has currently ranked Minchey as the No. 4 overall quarterback in the transfer portal.
No. 2: Colton Joseph (Old Dominion)
Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph was not a highly-touted prospect coming out of Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California. Still, he has turned himself into a solid dual-threat quarterback.
In two seasons as a starter for the Monarchs, Joseph has compiled 4,251 passing yards and 32 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.
He has also added 1,654 rushing yards and a massive 24 touchdowns on the ground.
Joseph's completion percentage is a little low at 59.8 percent, but his numbers speak to how effective he was as a starter.
Joseph is a bigger quarterback than Gronowski but possesses the same dual-threat ability that left Iowa fans wanting more.
247Sports currently has Joseph as its No. 8 overall quarterback in the transfer portal.
No. 3: Marcus Stokes (West Florida)
Earlier this week, West Florida quarterback Marcus Stokes announced that multiple programs have contacted him since he entered the transfer portal, including the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The fact that Iowa has reached out to a player in the transfer portal makes it look like they are not 100 percent confident in what the roster already holds, or the program is looking to bring at least one player in to compete for a spot.
Stokes is a talented quarterback who verbally committed to the Florida Gators before a video surfaced of him using a racial slur, prompting the Gators to pull his offer.
Stokes is a talented quarterback who is up for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Div. II Heisman) after putting up 3,664 total yards and 40 total touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore this season for the Argonauts.
He has two years of eligibility remaining, and Iowa's already reached out is a good sign.
247 Sports has currently ranked Stokes as the No. 11 overall quarterback in the transfer portal.