With basketball season wrapped up in Iowa City, the attention will now turn to the football program.
One of the biggest questions that Iowa will need to answer next season is at the quarterback position. Mark Gronowski had a great 2025 season, showing that it’s possible for Hawkeye quarterbacks to play at a high level under Tim Lester. Now the coaching staff will have to find his replacement.
It looks like one of sophomore Jeremy Hecklinski, or junior Hank Brown, will be the starter in 2026. Both of them transferred to Iowa last season and had a year to learn from Gronowski and Lester. Now they’ll look to step into a much bigger role and help lead the Hawkeyes to a lot of success on the field.
It’ll be tough, as the Big Ten Conference is loaded with quality starting quarterbacks. Where does the duo of Hecklinski and Brown rank compared to their Big Ten peers? Here’s a Spring ranking of the 18 Big Ten starting quarterbacks in 2026.
18. Ryan Browne, Purdue
2025 stats: 2,153 passing yards, 9 TD, 10 INT, 58.9% completion percentage
Browne was in a tough situation last season, playing with a Purdue squad devoid of much talent. But even with that, he wasn’t great. The Boilermakers will need him to elevate his play if they want to take a step in year two under Barry Odom.
17. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
2025 stats (with Michigan State): 1,392 passing yards, 10 TD, 3 INT, 63.1% completion percentage, 6 rushing TD
Chiles got hurt in the back half of the 2025 season with the Spartans, but had a decent season up to that point. The counting stats show a much better quarterback than the one that appears on film. I don’t know if the Wildcats have the weapons around Chiles to prop him up any higher on this list.
16. Jeremy Hecklinski/Hank Brown, Iowa
2025 combined stats: 13-23, 115 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The inexperience at Iowa is the only thing holding the Hawkeyes duo this low on the list. Brown was really only thrust into action in the fourth quarter against Indiana. Hecklinski only threw two passes all season. Another offseason of development with Tim Lester will do both of them wonders. But for now, their inexperience keeps them near the bottom of this list.
15. Dylan Lonergan, Rutgers
2025 stats (with Boston College): 2,025 passing yards, 12 TD, 5 INT, 66.9% completion percentage
Lonergan had a great start to his 2025 season with the Eagles, tossing nine touchdowns in his first three games. However, he faded down the stretch, only throwing three touchdowns the rest of the season, as well as dealing with some injuries. He’ll have KJ Duff to throw to in Piscataway, but he’s way too Jekyll-and-Hyde for my liking.
14. Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
2025 stats: 1,267 passing yards, 10 TD, 3 INT, 64.2% completion percentage
Iowa fans may remember Milovojevic almost leading Michigan State to a road win at Kinnick last November. He had a few great starts to end the 2025 season, giving Spartan fans hope that they had their next good quarterback ready to go. I worry about the lack of talent around him, especially with Nick Marsh gone, which lands him a bit lower on this list.
13. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
2025 stats: 2,382 passing yards, 18 TD, 6 INT, 63.2% completion percentage
This is the part of the list where I start to have a lot of confidence that these quarterbacks will have good seasons in 2026. Lindsey burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2025, playing well for PJ Fleck’s squad. I need to see one more strong season with a new supporting cast before he can move any higher on this list.
12. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
2025 stats: 1,928 passing yards, 13 TD, 7 INT, 64.4% completion percentage
Things went off the rails quickly for the Bruins in 2025, and Iamaleava was at the center of it all. The Tennessee transfer didn’t live up to the hype, playing with a roster that had a lot less talent than the one he left. Now in year two, under new head coach Bob Chesney, I expect a better version of Iamaleava and an improved UCLA offense.
11. Katin Houser, Illinois
2025 stats (with East Carolina): 3,300 passing yards, 19 TD, 6 INT, 65.9% completion percentage, 9 rushing TD
Houser led one of the best mid-major offenses in all of college football last season, putting up insane numbers in the process. He’ll try to bring that explosiveness to Champaign, where the Illini will look to replace Luke Altmyer’s production. If Houser can do that, he’ll rise on this list. But until then, I have questions about how his game will translate to the Big Ten level.
10. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
2025 stats (with UNLV): 3,459 passing yards, 23 TD, 9 INT, 65.9% completion percentage, 649 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD
Just like Houser, Colandrea put up big numbers with mid-major UNLV last season. His dual-threat ability poses a real threat to any defense he faces. The Cornhuskers also return some decent talent to put around Colandrea. The opportunity will be there for him to have a big 2026 season.
9. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin
2025 stats (with Old Dominion): 2,624 passing yards, 21 TD, 10 INT, 59.7% completion percentage, 1,007 rushing yards, 13 rushing TD
Joseph had a phenomenal 2025 with the Monrachs, rushing for over 1,000 yards and putting up 34 total touchdowns as a sophomore. Now he’ll head to Madison to try and unlock a Wisconsin offense that’s been dormant for a few years. If Luke Fickell can’t succeed with Joseph, it could spell the end of his time with the Badgers.
8. Malik Washington, Maryland
2025 stats: 2,963 passing yards, 17 TD, 9 INT, 57.7% completion percentage
Washington did everything for the Terrapins as a true freshman in 2025. He had no run game to speak of and few weapons around him, and still turned in a solid campaign. Getting him to return in 2026 was a major win for Mike Locksley. If Washington can become a little more accurate, he could be in for a nice payday in 2027.
7. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
2025 stats: 2,428 passing yards, 11 TD, 9 INT, 60.3% completion percentage
Underwood had an uneven freshman year with the Wolverines after entering as a highly-touted five-star prospect. There were times he made superhuman plays. And there were others where he made boneheaded decisions. I’m banking on his talent and the strong supporting cast returning around him to help Underwood have a strong sophomore year.
6. Rocco Becht, Penn State
2025 stats (with Iowa State): 2,584 passing yards, 16 TD, 9 INT, 60.5% completion percentage
Hawkeye fans are very familiar with Becht after he spent three seasons with in-state rival Iowa State. He’s now following his head coach, Matt Campbell, to Happy Valley to be the starter at Penn State. 2025 was the worst season of Becht’s career. The Nittany Lions are betting on him to bounce back. I think he will.
5. Josh Hoover, Indiana
2025 stats (with TCU): 3,472 passing yards, 29 TD, 13 INT, 65.9% completion percentage
Replacing the Heisman Trophy winner and future NFL first-overall pick is a tall task for Josh Hoover. But if there’s any coach in the country who’s best situated to help him do that, it’s Curt Cignetti. Hoover has a lot of very enviable traits and will be working with a strong group of position players, albeit not as talented as last season. Cignetti has done this with Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza. I’m not betting against him again.
4. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
2025 stats: 3,065 passing yards, 25 TD, 8 INT, 69.5% completion percentage
Coming off a fantastic 2025 season with the Huskies, Williams was a hot commodity in the transfer portal. After almost leaving the program, he decided to return to Washington, a huge win for head coach Jedd Fisch. While he won’t have superstar wide receiver Denzel Boston to throw to anymore, I still think Williams will show why he’s a future pro in 2026.
3. Jayden Maiava, USC
2025 stats: 3,711 passing yards, 24 TD, 10 INT, 65.8% completion percentage
In his first season as a full-time starter with the Trojans, Maiava impressed. He was accurate, clutch, and made tons of big-time plays in Lincoln Riley’s offense. Makai Lemon won’t be back next season, but Maiava is the kind of quarterback who’s able to elevate the talent around him. He’ll be in first-round pick conversations after the 2026 season.
2. Dante Moore, Oregon
2025 stats: 3,565 passing yards, 30 TD, 10 INT, 71.8% completion percentage
Moore would’ve been the second-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft had he declared. His decision to return to school keeps the Ducks in the upper echelon of college football for another season. Moore was excellent last season and should put together an even better season as he prepares to transition to the professional level.
1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
2025 stats: 3,610 passing yards, 32 TD, 8 INT, 77% completion percentage
Sayin had an unbelievable freshman season with the Buckeyes, ending up as a Heisman Trophy finalist by the time it was all said and done. He’s extremely accurate, can make plays out of the pocket, and is only going to get better. He also returns superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in 2026. That duo is going to be deadly for an Ohio State team with National Championship aspirations.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: 2026 Big Ten football QB rankings: Where does Iowa duo fall?
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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