One of the program’s most significant unresolved issues is already receiving attention as Iowa football gets ready to wrap up the 2025 campaign in Tampa: who will start at quarterback for the Hawkeyes in 2026? Tim Lester, the offensive coordinator, is completely focused on that question. On New Year’s Eve, the former quarterback and seasoned play caller is finishing up his second season leading Iowa’s offense at the ReliaQuest Bowl, but the real competition starts when the final whistle blows.
Transfer of graduates Mark Gronowski was always thought of as a temporary fix. Although Lester joked that he would be happy to spend another season with the seasoned signal caller, the truth is that Iowa needs to take a closer look. With Gronowski expected to leave, the Hawkeyes’ quarterback room will look to two well-known players: Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski.
Prior to Iowa’s flight to Tampa, both quarterbacks spent the last month gaining valuable practice reps in preparation for the bowl game. As the Hawkeyes get ready to play No. 14 Vanderbilt, they’re still honing their progressions, reading defenses, and learning how to control the offense at game speed.
December, Lester emphasized, has become a critical developmental window for the program.
“That’s a huge part of our program, the growth and development in the month of December,” Lester said. “It’s been a lot of real, live team tackling, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Gronowski is anticipated to start alongside Iowa’s regular starting lineup against the Commodores despite the increased reps for the backups. Lester conceded, however, that competition hasn’t ended quite the contrary.
He remarked, “There was a lot of competition this December too.” However, both of them will have a great opportunity in the spring. We’ll give each group an equal number of reps to see who can perform better. They’re both really competent, in my opinion.
Earlier this month, head coach Kirk Ferentz echoed those thoughts, pointing out that bowl preparation frequently necessitates a careful balancing act between winning now and building for the future. That balance just so happens to involve the quarterback position more than it usually does this year.
On December 16, Ferentz stated, “We’ve been able to work all the guys.” Both Jeremy and Hank are progressing and getting better. It’s encouraging to see progress being made. The idea is to avoid having to look outside as we sit here.
Since National Signing Day, that position has not changed. Unless something changes between January 2 and January 16, Iowa does not intend to pursue a quarterback via the transfer portal.
The Hawkeyes still anticipate having four players at the position for the upcoming season, despite Gronowski leaving and Jackson Stratton joining the portal. Confidence is now Lester’s top priority. Practices in December have focused on exposure, repetition, and rhythm because neither Hecklinski nor Brown have a lot of game experience.
Lester remarked, “They’ve been doing good.” Reps with looks they haven’t always seen are being given to them. We’re giving them a ton of game reps because none of them have played many. To give them time to adjust, I kind of front-loaded each of them.
The few moments of game action they had were crucial. When Iowa lost to then-unranked Indiana now the top team in the country Brown filled in for Gronowski. Hecklinski gained crucial snaps under duress by finishing games against Wisconsin and Nebraska. The two quarterbacks are very different players, according to Lester. Hecklinski is, in Lester’s words, a “interesting bird” a quarterback who gives the offense a distinct feel while Brown is learning to play within his physical frame.
Continuity is what makes this competition particularly fascinating. Iowa’s prospective starting quarterbacks will begin a second season in the same offensive scheme under Lester for the first time. That familiarity is important.
”Having someone in Year Two of the offense is exciting,” Lester remarked. “It has a significant impact.”
The selection of a starter is not urgent. The bowl game is merely a checkpoint in an ongoing evaluation process, and Iowa has months before the decision becomes urgent. For the time being, the emphasis is still on one final chance to work together.
Lester remarked, “It’s football.” This is how it should be. Nobody seemed to think that we wouldn’t all go outside and play together. Iowa’s goal in Tampa is straightforward: complete the season correctly and allow the future to develop organically, despite the impending quarterback battle.
