Spring ball is in full swing, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are navigating an offensive scheme that is going to have a new man calling the signals for the third year in a row. After Mark Gronowski left, the job went up for grabs between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown.
Neither has a ton of experience and has largely been in backup roles, but Hecklinski appears to have an early edge in the competition. The unknowns of how he will perform are causing some hesitation from CBS Sports, which ranked all 68 Power Four quarterbacks and put Hecklinski in the cellar.
68. Jeremy Hecklinski, Iowa
Conference ranking: No. 18 in Big Ten
Hecklinksi only played in two games last season as a freshman and saw minimal snaps. Hecklinski, a former Wake Forest transfer, is battling ex-Auburn transfer Hank Brown for first-team honors during the spring. Brown has more collegiate experience, but Hecklinski surged to No. 2 on the depth chart last fall behind Mark Gronokowski. – Brad Crawford, CBS Sports
The reasoning for the rankings can’t be faulted too much. Ranking Hecklinski, a backup who only saw time in blowout wins by the Hawkeyes last year, puts any ranking in a hard spot to slot him much higher.
That said, he is going to be buoyed by Tim Lester, Iowa’s offensive coordinator, who has shown he will mold his scheme around a quarterback’s best attributes, rather than forcing them to change to his style. On top of that, Iowa figures to have a stout running game that can alleviate some pressure.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : CBS ranks 68 Power Four QBs, hard on Iowa football’s Jeremy Hecklinski
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
