Third-year quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski was the star from Iowa’s annual Kids Day at Kinnick, completing 17 of 25 passes for 205 yards and five touchdowns.
A 5-foot-11, 201-pound signal-caller from Marietta, Ga., Hecklinski played in just two games last season and only attempted a pair of passes. But, after the Hawkeyes’ lone open scrimmage, Hecklinski appears to have the clear upper hand over Hank Brown in Iowa’s starting quarterback competition.
Brown, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound quarterback that started his career at Auburn, completed just 9 of 21 passes for 42 yards during Kids Day at Kinnick.
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked afterwards if Hecklinski had been that on target throughout the rest of Iowa’s nine fall camp practices thus far.
“Every day’s been different basically. So, yeah, it’s been going back and forth and kind of what you’d expect,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz was asked how he’d evaluate the Iowa quarterbacks from Kids Day at Kinnick.
“I’d look at them over nine days. I think they’ve done some good things and some things have got to get better. Like very position. And yeah, it’s clearly cloudy right now,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz was also asked how much it factors in that Hecklinski had a dominant day with fans in the stands.
“I wouldn’t overplay it. I mean, it’s helpful certainly to be out here just with whatever it is, 37 or 38 percent of the team is new right now. So, we’ve been out here twice, three times, but not with fans, other than the spring game or spring practice. So, it helps, but we’ve still got too much other stuff to go through right now and processing. And then, it’s like anything, what are the guys around them doing too that might have made a guy look better or worse. That type of deal. So, we’ll take a look at the film. But, no, I think all the guys are doing fine,” Ferentz said.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football QB competition ‘clearly cloudy’ after Kids Day at Kinnick
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Josh Helmer, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
