Latest news with #Gronowski
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football 2025 season positional preview: Quarterbacks
Since 2020, Iowa football fans have been waiting for an answer at the quarterback position. Following the graduation of Nate Stanley, the Hawkeyes have gone through numerous quarterback options including Spencer Petras, Alex Padilla, Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill with little success. It's been frustrating for fans to watch a great defense and special teams get let down consistently by subpar quarterback play. But, for the first time in half a decade, that position might have an answer. This is the first part of my Iowa football positional previews for the 2025 season. Starting with quarterback, I'll go position by position down the Iowa roster and update you on the key players for the Hawks in 2025. So, grab your popcorn and a comfortable seat and let's get started. Starter: Mark Gronowski 2024 stats: 2,721 passing yards, 23 TDs, 7 INTs, 61% completion at South Dakota State The arrival of Mark Gronowski on campus has many Hawkeye fans excited about the quarterback position in 2025. Gronowski was a four-year starter for the Jackrabbits, leading them to a pair of FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023. Gronowski won the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given to the most outstanding FCS player. He was a first-team FCS All-American in 2023 as well. In total, he went 49-6 as a starter with 10,308 passing yards and 93 touchdowns while completing 63.5% of his passes. Gronowski had offseason shoulder surgery that limited his work in spring ball, but all signs point toward him being good to go for upcoming practices and the regular season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound signal caller has ideal size for the position and is very mobile, as illustrated by his 1,767 career rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns with the Jackrabbits. If he plays up to his ability in 2025, Iowa could make some national noise. Projected Backup: Hank Brown 2024 stats: 27-43 for 403 passing yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs across four games at Auburn Iowa has a few options for the primary backup to Gronowksi, but I decided to go with the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Auburn transfer Hank Brown. A three-star prospect out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, Brown saw some action with the Tigers in 2024 after a redshirt season in 2023. While he wasn't great, Brown is still just a redshirt sophomore and has big-time experience from within the SEC. That experience plus his potential upside is enough for me to slot him into the projected backup role this season. And with Gronowski playing his final year in college, Brown will be a contender for the starting role in 2026. If Brown isn't the primary backup, it will be one of these other quarterback options. Other QB Options If Iowa can get legit production from its quarterbacks in 2025, it's going to be a fun season in Iowa City. We'll just have to wait and see what they get. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Iowa Offense Preview 2025: The Hawkeyes Have a Star in Mark Gronowski
There was a passing game in offensive coordinator Tim Lester's will never wing the ball all over the place, and only four teams threw for fewer yards - and three of them were service academies - but the offense pushed past a 60% completion rate for the first time in well over a ground game was the second-best in the Big Ten, and the 360 points were the most since 2018. And now ... X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 Iowa Preview Iowa Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season - The passing game should be even stronger. Again, it wasn't exactly a high-octane attack, but it was more efficient and effective. But everyone who threw a pass is gone. On the plus side, Iowa upgraded at Gronowski won the 2023 Walter Payton Award as the best FCS player in America, and he closed out his South Dakota State career with over 10,000 passing yards and 93 scores. Auburn's Hank Brown was a nice No. 2 guy to grab. - It's still Iowa, and it'll still run the ball. Kaleb Johnson is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, and the Hawkeyes have to replace the 1,537 yards and 21 scores. Kamari Moulton was second on the team with 473 yards and three touchdowns, and Jazium Patterson was second with just over 300 yards and two scores. Gronowski can run, too. - It's a stretch to say the Iowa offensive line got by on reputation, but it sort of did. And then it started blasting away last year and did a nice job in pass protection. There's some work to do, but the options are there to work with in fall camp around All-Big Ten talents Logan Jones at center and Gennings Dunker at tackle. - There's a chance this is the deepest Iowa receiving corps in a long while. Jacob Gill led the team with 35 catches for 411 yards and two scores, and the rest of the top wide receivers return. Gill is the No. 1 guy, but the No. 2 wideout, Reece Vander Zee, only caught 14 Iowa, so the tight ends will shine. Addison Ostrenga and Zach Ortworth will be involved more. Iowa Defense Breakdown2025 Iowa Preview Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa star QB among CBS' Big Ten football transfers poised for instant impact
Iowa star QB among CBS' Big Ten football transfers poised for instant impact Every year at this time, the same song and dance is said about the Iowa Hawkeyes. If their offense can find life, they can be a dangerous team due to their always strong defense and special teams. It feels like a time warp of the same story each summer, but could it actually change this season in 2025? The one stark difference between this year and the past is who Iowa has under center. The Hawkeyes landed Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State, where he won two national championships and stuffed the stat sheet through the air and on the ground. He brings a new dimension to Iowa's offense that it has lacked for some time. His talents have him among CBS Sports' Big Ten instant impact transfers who could make their presence felt throughout the entire conference. Iowa QB Mark Gronowski The latest hope at quarterback for the Hawkeyes. It didn't get much attention, but Iowa's offense was improved last season; it was just extremely reliant on Kaleb Johnson and the run game to be so. Gronowski was an extremely productive player at a strong FCS program in South Dakota State. - Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports With the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, Mark Gronowski put together a prolific career. He compiled an outstanding 49-6 career record over four seasons, which saw them take home the FCS national championship in 2022 and 2023. Gronowski also took home the Walter Payton Award in 2023, which is designated for the best player in the FCS level of college football. He was also a First-Team All-American and MVFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. Statistically, Gronowski can do it all. He threw for 10,330 yards and 93 touchdowns while adding 1,767 rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns on the ground. If offensive coordinator Tim Lester and Mark Gronowski can click quickly, he can impact Iowa's offense and the Big Ten in a way that the conference or college football landscape has not seen in a while from the Hawkeyes. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN ranks Iowa football QB among top 100 transfer portal additions
Iowa hopes that South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski can help revitalize the Hawkeyes' offense and, in particular, its passing attack. With his combination of leadership and dual-threat ability, Gronowski is expected to provide the proper trigger man that can truly unlock Tim Lester's offense at Iowa in Lester's second season with the program. In ESPN's final transfer portal rankings, Gronowski checks in at No. 44 nationally. This guy is the very definition of substance over style. All he does is make good decisions and win. It's not always pretty and his methods can be unorthodox, but the end result is among the elite in college football. An adequate athlete, Gronowski shines with his accuracy. He'll bring experience and smart play along with a sky-high expectation to perform, which he has done his entire career. - Tom Luginbill, ESPN. Gronowski led South Dakota State to a pair of FCS national championships and his 49-6 career mark ties him for the most wins by a quarterback at the FCS level. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle During his time with the Jackrabbits, Gronowski passed for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns and he ran for an additional 1,767 yards and 37 scores. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound quarterback passed and rushed for a touchdown in the same game 26 times across his 55 career starts. What a win for the Hawkeyes. They were looking to improve their QB situation for 2025 via the portal, and their patience paid off when Gronowski hit the market. There's not a more experienced or accomplished QB in this cycle when you consider he's played more than 3,000 career snaps. Gronowski was productive in his lone start against Power 4 competition in 2024, throwing for 264 yards and two TDs with one interception in a 44-20 loss at Oklahoma State. He'll be eager to prove he can compete at the highest level in the Big Ten. - Max Olson, ESPN. Gronowski had offseason shoulder surgery and is expected to resume full-time activities during Iowa's summer program. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Chicago Tribune
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Iowa hoping Naperville's Mark Gronowski — who won 2 titles at South Dakota State — can give the offense a jolt
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Mark Gronowski was on the losing side of what he jokingly called 'the greatest offensive game of all time.' Gronowski was South Dakota State's quarterback when the Jackrabbits lost 7-3 at Iowa in the 2022 season opener, with the Hawkeyes' points coming from two safeties and a field goal. Now Gronowski's job is to lead Iowa's offense, which has been the butt of more than a few jokes for the way it has lumbered through recent seasons. Iowa ranked 72nd in scoring and 117th in total offense under new coordinator Tim Lester last season, an improvement over the previous two years when the Hawkeyes were at or near the bottom of the FBS rankings in both categories. But Iowa still ranked 129th in passing, so the need for a quarterback out of the NCAA transfer portal was an offseason necessity. Gronowski likes having the chance to help the Hawkeyes. 'Talking with Lester and kind of seeing the progression of the offense from the prior year to this last year was really cool to see, and he wants to continue to grow (the passing) offense as well,' Gronowski said. Gronowski threw for 10,308 yards and won 49 games in his four seasons at South Dakota State, leading the Jackrabbits to FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023. He won the Walter Payton Award in 2023, given to the top FCS offensive player. The Naperville native and Neuqua Valley alumnus went into the transfer portal after last season and considered entering the NFL draft, but he decided to stay in college because of a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. 'That whole process, the transfer portal itself, is a crazy deal,' said Gronowski, who estimated at one point early in the process he had 100 missed calls and another 100 missed texts from recruiters. 'Definitely talked to a lot of different scouts about my opportunities in the NFL, and we kind of decided — me and my parents and my agent — that it was going to be best to come back for another year. 'And after talking with Iowa and just the culture here, having a Hall of Fame coach like Coach (Kirk) Ferentz, and also being very similar to what I had at South Dakota State teamwise with a winning culture, that's why I ended up choosing Iowa.' Ferentz hasn't had much luck with transfer quarterbacks. Cade McNamara was injured for much of his two seasons with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Michigan, and Brendan Sullivan, who transferred from Northwestern before last season, started the last three games and went back into the portal. Iowa brought in quarterback Hank Brown from Auburn in addition to Gronowski, who turns 24 in October and has four years of starting experience. 'We got to see him on film, and that speaks for itself, whether it was how he played but more importantly what I think quarterback is all about — it's a leadership position,' Ferentz said. 'There's no avoiding that. He clearly did that. He delivered his team to victory a lot, and that's really impressive.' Gronowski hasn't done much in spring practice as he rehabilitates the injured shoulder, but he said his recovery is ahead of schedule. 'The training staff here has been awesome throughout the entire process, and the doctors have been great,' Gronowski said. 'Right now, as spring ball is progressing, I'm just continuing to get mental reps and trying to learn as much as I can.' Ferentz likes how Gronowski fits within the program. 'Mark is a proven player,' Ferentz said. 'He's done it on film. Hasn't done it at the Big Ten level necessarily, but good players are good players in my mind. 'The thing I'm more impressed with is the kind of person he is and his demeanor. I would call him fairly quiet, but he has a humbleness to him and a confidence to him that's very genuine.'
