It is the elephant in the room for the Iowa Hawkeyes as they look ahead to spring ball and the 2026 college football season. After Mark Gronowski revamped the offense with his dual-threat quarterback play, Iowa must replace that production and figure out who is going to be under center in the fall.
The current quarterback room is not loaded with experience, but it has a handful of players who have spent the last year in Tim Lester’s scheme and should be able to run the offense. Producing on the field is another story.
ESPN looked at all Power Four teams entering 2026 and analyzed who is in the quarterback room, what the competition looks like and who will be the starter. The answer isn’t necessarily clear-cut for Iowa; a true competition is expected before Kirk Ferentz makes the call.
Competition: The race between Hecklinski and Brown likely will go through the spring and into the summer before reaching a resolution. Iowa also brings back Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald — the son of Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald — and will welcome its likely QB of the future in Tradon Bessinger, ranked No. 192 in the SC Next 300. But coach Kirk Ferentz favors experience at quarterback and will likely choose between the two returning transfers. – ESPN
Tradon Bessinger is highly touted, but Iowa is reluctant to hand the offense over to a true freshman. Expect him to spend a year developing in the system before he gets his shot, barring a catastrophic string of injuries forcing him into action. On the surface, unless Sullivan or Fitzgerald take strides this offseason, it’s a two-horse race between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, with Hecklinski getting the nod in 2026.
2026 starter: Jeremy Hecklinski, sophomore
Why he’ll start: Iowa is headed for a true competition between Hecklinski, a Wake Forest transfer, and Hank Brown, an Auburn transfer who will be entering his fourth college season. Hecklinski moved into the backup role this past season ahead of Brown, and brings a distinct style of passing and play that has impressed those inside the program. Just 5-foot-11, Hecklinski took only three snaps for Wake Forest and had just two pass attempts this fall for Iowa, completing both. Things could certainly swing toward Brown, who started two games for Auburn in 2024, but Hecklinski’s development this season gives him the chance to most effectively operate coordinator Tim Lester’s offense. – ESPN
This competition is going to be tight, but Hecklinski appears to have the inside track with all indications pointing to his development surpassing Brown during the 2025 season. Whoever gets the nod will be fresh blood; the two combined to go 13 of 23 for 115 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. Hecklinski added one rush for six yards and a touchdown in limited mop-up duty.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: ESPN predicts 2026 Iowa football starting QB, potential competition
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
