Where does Iowa football QB competition stand during spring practice?
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IOWA CITY — When it comes to picking the next Iowa football starting quarterback, head coach Kirk Ferentz is approaching this like a marathon, not a sprint.
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After the exhaustion of Mark Gronowski's eligibility, Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are competing for the starting job. With the opening kickoff still months away, Ferentz is playing the long game.
“We're just going to let it ride,” Ferentz said on Tuesday, March 31. "Yeah, they are splitting (first team) reps pretty much down the middle, and we'll probably do that. I mean, there's no rush here, there's no benefit in making a call unless it just becomes obvious. Then we'll do that. But I really foresee these guys competing for quite a while. The whole idea is not to make a decision fast, but to make the right decision. That's what we're going to try to do.”
Though Gronowski only spent one season with the Hawkeyes, he made a profound impact, delivering the quality quarterback play Iowa fans had been starving for. Now, the program will look to continue that momentum in the post-Gronowski era.
Brown and Hecklinski were locked into a tight backup battle behind Gronowski last season.
Brown, who began the 2025 season as the second-stringer, was called into action when Gronowski exited the Indiana game with an injury. It was a difficult situation to be thrown into, but Brown's performance left much to be desired. He went 5-of-13 through the air for 48 yards and one interception as Iowa wasn’t able to close out the eventual national champions.
That was the last appearance Brown made all season.
Hecklinski made garbage time appearances twice in the final eight games, highlighting his rise over Brown in the pecking order. Hecklinski finished the season 2-of-2 passing for eight yards and scoring his first collegiate touchdown on a six-yard rush against Minnesota.
That is the backdrop for the race between the two quarterbacks heading into the 2026 season.
“They're both operating, I think, with a lot more confidence, familiarity,” Ferentz said. “And I think that hurt Mark (Gronowski) to some degree. Even though he was here last spring, not being able to actually take snaps and operate in practice hurts you. So that part's all good.”
There are some similarities between the two quarterbacks. They are both entering their second season in the program, although this is only Heckliski’s first year in spring practice with the Hawkeyes because he committed to Iowa late in the transfer portal cycle.
Both started their college careers elsewhere — Brown at Auburn and Hecklinski at Wake Forest. Unlike Gronowski, neither has much starting experience at the college level. Brown started two games at Auburn in 2024. Hecklinski has yet to make his first start.
But there are also some stark differences.
They look different physically. Brown is long and lengthy at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, while Hecklinski is more compact at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds.
“He and Hank are different players stylistically but also personality-wise,” Ferentz said. “I think if you learn one thing in football — whether it's pro, college, it doesn't matter — there's no set way to do things. It's about playing within yourself, who you are, and maximizing what it is that you bring to the game and both those guys are working really hard at it.”
There is little question about Hecklinski’s arm talent. He threw for more than 3,800 yards in his senior season at Walton High School in Georgia.
"Confidence,” defensive back Jaylen Watson said of what he's seen from Hecklinski. “He's a gunslinger, like they call him. He's very confident. He's willing to take risks and it helps us each and every day because we know you've got to be focused because he's going to want to take the deep shots. He's going to want to take the shots that make the crowd go 'oooh oooh.' So you know you've got to be on your ‘A’ game going against him."
Watson said this of Brown: “Hank is a leader, man. Just how he carries himself outside the building, on the field.”
Unless Brown has made drastic improvements, Hecklinski probably has the edge when it comes to mobility. That's an important trait, considering it's what helped Gronowski have such a productive season for the Hawkeyes.
“I would say his speed is very deceiving,” defensive back Zach Lutmer said of Hecklinski. “He might not look like a guy that’s going to be fast and then he’s getting past the D-end and getting outside the pocket. So, I think he’s a lot quicker than what people think he is.”
We are currently in a spot on the calendar where a decision doesn't need to be made in the immediate future. The Hawkeyes can let this play out through spring practice, into the summer and fall camp, if need be.
“Once you get into (fall) camp, things are getting a little closer now, a little bit more condensed,” Ferentz said. “We really don't do game prep until about eight, 10 days out before our first ball game. So, somewhere in there, I think you'd probably like to have some idea where you're going. If it happens sooner, that would be great.”
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where Iowa football's QB competition stands during spring practice