The development of quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski is one of the most fascinating behind-the-scenes stories as Iowa football gets ready to finish the 2025 season in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Hecklinski’s development has not gone unnoticed as Iowa’s coaching staff has been discreetly assessing what will happen at the position while graduate transfer Mark Gronowski gets ready for his final collegiate start.
Hecklinski, a 5-foot-11, 188-pound quarterback from Marietta, Georgia, joined the Hawkeyes via the transfer portal in Iowa City prior to the 2025 campaign. He started his college career at Wake Forest, where he redshirted in 2024 and made only three appearances against North Carolina. Despite having little experience on the field, the Hawkeyes’ staff benefited from his familiarity with offensive analyst Warren Ruggiero, who followed him from Wake Forest to Iowa.
Hecklinski, who was rated a three-star transfer by 247Sports, may not have arrived with much fanfare, but his growth has contributed to Iowa’s reluctance to actively pursue another quarterback in the next portal cycle. In an interview with the media on Friday prior to No. 23 Iowa’s New Year’s Eve game against No. 14 Vanderbilt, offensive coordinator Tim Lester reaffirmed this belief. Lester didn’t hesitate when asked to characterize Hecklinski’s playing style, and his response was anything but typical.
Asked to describe Hecklinski’s style of play, Lester didn’t hesitate — and his answer was anything but ordinary.
“He’s an interesting bird,” Lester said. “He’s like a gunslinger. There’s not a window that he doesn’t feel like he can put the ball through.”
Lester continued by comparing Hecklinski to Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, citing Hecklinski’s versatility and inventiveness rather than his overwhelming velocity. Hecklinski has “every pitch in the book,” according to Lester, and he can deliver the ball from almost any slot, change arm angles, and layer throws.
Despite lacking some quarterbacks’ pure fastball, he makes up for it with touch, feel, and football acumen. The most notable intelligence is that. Hecklinski’s ability to read defenses, manipulate coverage with his eyes, and comprehend what he sees both before and after a snap was commended by Lester. Quarterbacks who merely execute plays are often distinguished from those who actually run an offense by this type of mental command.
There has, however, been a learning curve. One of the biggest adjustments for Hecklinski has been operating under center — something he rarely, if ever, did before arriving at Iowa.
“He’d probably never taken a snap under center before he came here,” Lester said. “That was the thing he was most nervous about.”
Hecklinski had some uncomfortable moments during the early practices as he got used to the timing of his footwork and seven-step drops, but Lester observed that he had significantly calmed down since arriving. Hecklinski’s athleticism is more noticeable when positioned in shotgun, and it has been shown that he is more mobile than he first appears.
Iowa’s offseason will feature a full-fledged quarterback competition as Gronowski is scheduled to conclude his career against Vanderbilt. Hecklinski and Hank Brown, another transfer who joined Iowa from Auburn during the offseason, are expected to compete for the starting position.
While Lester was careful not to declare a frontrunner, he did acknowledge that Hecklinski may have gained a slight edge as bowl practices progressed.
“Early on, Hank started as the backup because he’d been here longer,” Lester explained. “But as December went on, Heck started making a few more plays. It was close the whole time.”
During bowl preparation, both quarterbacks have had plenty of opportunities. Hecklinski and Brown received the majority of the reps because Gronowski was given a week off early in the process. In order to help each quarterback develop rhythm, which he feels is essential at the position, Lester purposefully rotated practices, “front-loading” reps for each quarterback on different days.
The outcomes have been positive. Both quarterbacks had hot and cold days, but Lester stressed the importance of the reps. Practice volume was important because neither has a lot of gaming experience. More significantly, Lester pointed out that both players’ game is starting to slow down, particularly in their second year in the system.
Lester remarked, “They’re checking and seeing things we haven’t even done in Kinnick yet.” “You can tell the offense is beginning to click at that point.” The season will end for Iowa in the bowl game against Vanderbilt. Behind the scenes, though, it also seems like the start of a new chapter at quarterback, one in which Jeremy Hecklinski’s steady, self-assured development may be crucial.
