LAS VEGAS — Iowa football will serve as one of the closing acts at this year’s Big Ten Media Days. The Hawkeyes will appear on July 24, the third and final day of the annual conference gathering, which is being held in Las Vegas this year.
Iowa’s representatives consist of head coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive lineman Logan Jones, defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett and defensive back Koen Entringer.
It’s best to take settings like this with a grain of salt. Actions — such as production on the field — speak much louder than quotes. That said, it’s possible to pick up some nuggets of insight. Big Ten Media Days can provide a window into where Iowa stands heading into fall camp.
Here are some storylines to track during the Hawkeyes’ outing in Las Vegas.
How does Kirk Ferentz feel about Iowa’s quarterback competition?
To no one’s surprise, the quarterback position is in the spotlight yet again for the Hawkeyes.
After going through the spring with a skeleton crew, Iowa should now be much more stocked at the position. Mark Gronowski is back to full health after rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, while Wake Forest transfer Jeremy Hecklinski and freshman Ryan Fitzgerald are now with the program.
Barring injury, the Hawkeyes are six deep at the position.
Gronowski, a two-time FCS champion at South Dakota State, is the presumed starter. There’s cautious optimism that he could finally be the one to solve Iowa’s quarterback woes.
Gronowski will continue to be a major talking point entering the 2025 season.
Though Gronowski is the favorite to start, there is a chance to be legitimate competition for the second-, third- and fourth-string quarterback spots.
Auburn transfer Hank Brown and returner Jackson Stratton both have started multiple games for power conference programs. Hecklinski, who still has four seasons of eligibility remaining after redshirting at Wake Forest, was a prolific passer in high school, racking up more than 3,800 passing yards through the air as a senior.
Recent history has shown how important it is to have serviceable backup options. The Hawkeyes dug deep into their quarterback room last season in a position group withered by injuries. In 2023, not having a competent option behind Cade McNamara put the Hawkeyes in an unfavorable position.
Ideally, Gronowski will be healthy for the entire season. But that is far from a guarantee. So it will be compelling to see how the 2-4 spots shake out, because there’s a chance that they might end up taking meaningful snaps.
But quarterback is not the only position battle worth watching
Iowa’s defense faces far more uncertainty than it did entering last season, when the Hawkeyes returned so many contributors. Now it feels the competition is much more wide-open.
TJ Hall, Deshaun Lee, Jaylen Watson and Shahid Barros are among those in the mix for the two starting cornerback spots. After the departures of Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, there are major voids to fill at linebacker.
Offensively, Iowa has healthy competition at some of the skill positions. The Hawkeyes’ wide receiver room might be in its best shape in years, giving it the potential to thrive. At running back, Kamari Moulton, Jaziun Patterson and Terrell Washington, Jr. should be vying for carries with Kaleb Johnson having moved on to the NFL.
Iowa’s offensive line returns regular starters Logan Jones, Gennings Dunker and Beau Stephens, along with Kade Pieper, who was a reserve last season. But it shouldn’t be overlooked that the Hawkeyes also lost serious depth and production between Connor Colby, Mason Richman, Tyler Elsbury and Nick DeJong.
Iowa’s ability (or inability) to replenish those holes is key.
The offensive line’s ability to continue the momentum it built last season might be one of the more neglected X-factors. With the passing game still in question, a stellar line would raise Iowa’s floor offensively. If the Hawkeyes can block well, they should at least be able to run the ball effectively, as they did last season, regardless of how the quarterback play pans out.
Which newcomers could make an impact?
Iowa’s 2025 transfer-portal class features a handful of players who could carve out roles.
Some names to know:
Several transfer-portal additions could become sizeable factors in Iowa’s season and provide solutions to some of the aforementioned position battles. With a little more than one month before the season opener, it will be interesting to hear Ferentz’s impressions of some of those players.
Newcomers also include freshmen.
It still might be too early to tell which first-year players, if any, could find their way on the field. A true freshman who garnered attention as a high school prospect is Iose Epenesa, a legacy Hawkeye and brother of A.J. Epenesa.
How legitimate is the Koen Entringer hype?
Entringer was already viewed as a potential breakout candidate for Iowa this season. But his inclusion as one of Iowa’s player representatives for Big Ten Media Days cemented it even more, which spoke volumes for someone who has made only one career start on the Hawkeye defense.
Entringer grabbed attention as a redshirt freshman when he delivered an incredible display of hustle on punt coverage during the 2023 Big Ten Championship Game. He started one game last season, mostly serving as a reserve, but his potential generated excitement.
Entringer would be a classic Iowa story. He waited his turn, didn’t jump into the transfer portal and now has an opportunity to be a prominent part of Iowa’s defense.
Injuries
A football team’s health situation is always one to monitor. But that becomes even more crucial with the start of the season on the horizon, which is why any updates Ferentz delivers would be worth noting.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa football storylines to watch during Hawkeyes’ appearance at Big Ten Media Days
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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