Since 2020, Iowa football fans have been waiting for an answer at the quarterback position.
Following the graduation of Nate Stanley, the Hawkeyes have gone through numerous quarterback options including Spencer Petras, Alex Padilla, Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill with little success. It’s been frustrating for fans to watch a great defense and special teams get let down consistently by subpar quarterback play.
But, for the first time in half a decade, that position might have an answer.
This is the first part of my Iowa football positional previews for the 2025 season. Starting with quarterback, I’ll go position by position down the Iowa roster and update you on the key players for the Hawks in 2025. So, grab your popcorn and a comfortable seat and let’s get started.
Starter: Mark Gronowski
2024 stats: 2,721 passing yards, 23 TDs, 7 INTs, 61% completion at South Dakota State
The arrival of Mark Gronowski on campus has many Hawkeye fans excited about the quarterback position in 2025. Gronowski was a four-year starter for the Jackrabbits, leading them to a pair of FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023.
Gronowski won the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given to the most outstanding FCS player. He was a first-team FCS All-American in 2023 as well. In total, he went 49-6 as a starter with 10,308 passing yards and 93 touchdowns while completing 63.5% of his passes.
Gronowski had offseason shoulder surgery that limited his work in spring ball, but all signs point toward him being good to go for upcoming practices and the regular season.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound signal caller has ideal size for the position and is very mobile, as illustrated by his 1,767 career rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns with the Jackrabbits. If he plays up to his ability in 2025, Iowa could make some national noise.
Projected Backup: Hank Brown
2024 stats: 27-43 for 403 passing yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs across four games at Auburn
Iowa has a few options for the primary backup to Gronowksi, but I decided to go with the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Auburn transfer Hank Brown. A three-star prospect out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, Brown saw some action with the Tigers in 2024 after a redshirt season in 2023. While he wasn’t great, Brown is still just a redshirt sophomore and has big-time experience from within the SEC.
That experience plus his potential upside is enough for me to slot him into the projected backup role this season. And with Gronowski playing his final year in college, Brown will be a contender for the starting role in 2026. If Brown isn’t the primary backup, it will be one of these other quarterback options.
Other QB Options
If Iowa can get legit production from its quarterbacks in 2025, it’s going to be a fun season in Iowa City. We’ll just have to wait and see what they get.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football 2025 season positional preview: Quarterbacks
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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