The focus is already on what will happen at the most crucial position on the field as Iowa football approaches its season finale at the ReliaQuest Bowl. A new chapter for the quarterback room begins on New Year’s Eve when the Hawkeyes play No. 14 Vanderbilt, and it appears that the solution for 2026 is already in-house.
No. 23 Iowa is 6-3 in Big Ten play and 8-4 overall going into the bowl game, and graduate quarterback Mark Gronowski is getting ready for his last game in black and gold. Tim Lester, the offensive coordinator, freely acknowledges the stability and experience the South Dakota State transfer has brought.
However, the competition to succeed Gronowski will begin as soon as his Iowa career concludes. The Hawkeyes and head coach Kirk Ferentz have stated unequivocally that they are not actively seeking a transfer portal quarterback as a top priority. That position says a lot. It implies that Iowa is confident in the current roster and thinks its starting quarterback for 2026 is already on campus.
Iowa will bring back Ryan Fitzgerald, Jimmy Sullivan, Hank Brown, and Jeremy Hecklinski behind Gronowski. Tradon Bessinger, a four-star quarterback, has also joined the Hawkeyes’ 2026 recruiting class. However, the immediate focus has become more focused.
Hecklinski and Brown appear to be in a two-man race. Lester provided a thorough and open look at the competition’s behind-the-scenes developments on Friday. He clarified that Iowa’s staff uses DVO work to evaluate quarterbacks all year long, enabling them to monitor development long before the general public is aware of it.
”Unless you just keep buying every year, you’re going to have a first-year starter at some point,” Lester stated. And we are grateful for Mark, who performed a fantastic job. However, I don’t think you could live there. It’s exciting when two guys show promise.
Iowa purposefully gave Gronowski a short break during bowl preparation while giving the younger quarterbacks more reps. That choice wasn’t made at random. It was an opportunity to observe how Hecklinski and Brown dealt with long workdays, strange looks, and the mental strain of running an offense.
Lester remarked, “They’ve been doing good.” They’ve experienced both hot and cold days. We gave them a lot of work because none of them had played many game reps. To help them establish a rhythm, I even front-loaded practices so that one man received the majority of the repetitions. For a quarterback, that is important.
The outcomes were positive. Both players started making checks and identifying defensive strategies that Iowa hasn’t even employed at Kinnick Stadium yet, according to Lester. When the game slows down and instincts take over, it’s frequently the pivotal moment for young quarterbacks. Lester says the competition is still very close.
”Very close,” he remarked. Hank was the backup in the beginning. He was familiar with the offense because he had been here longer. However, Heck was making more plays as DVO progressed. It will be enormous in the spring, and it was close the entire time.
Practice in the spring will be crucial. Each unit will give both quarterbacks an equal number of reps, and consistency will be just as important as skill. Lester’s enthusiasm was evident when describing Hecklinski.
Lester remarked, “He’s a gunslinger.” “He believes he can fit the ball through every window.” Hecklinski may not have the biggest fastball, but he has every throw imaginable, according to Lester, who likened him to Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. He has the ability to manipulate defenses with his eyes, throw from various arm angles, and layer passes.
Operating under center, which he hardly ever did before coming to Iowa, has been Hecklinski’s biggest adjustment. Even seven-step drops were new to me at first. However, Lester observes consistent improvement, particularly when Hecklinski is in the shotgun and his athleticism subtly manifests. Brown, on the other hand, offers a distinct profile. Tall and strong, his growth has focused on mechanics, especially playing with a stronger base and a better knee bend.
Lester remarked, “I tell him to play like you’re 5-11.” Brown’s impressive arm strength has been unlocked by keeping him lower and more balanced. Lester claims that Brown’s greatest improvement has been the speed and accuracy with which the ball is coming out. Practice observers have noted the velocity.
More significantly, Brown is now mentally at ease enough in the offense to prioritize details over survival. Quarterbacks frequently make significant progress at that point. Gronowski’s future is already taking shape as he leads Iowa through one final game with a steady hand. The Hawkeyes are confident in the process, but they won’t rush it. The next quarterback for Iowa won’t be a mystery import in 2026. He will be someone who has been participating in the program, learning, and developing all along.
