Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Drawing Massive Attention Before 2025 Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan D. Massey | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 7:03 PM ET

The Iowa Hawkeyes made a big move this offseason to address their need at the quarterback position. While they received a transfer commitment from former Auburn signal caller Hank Brown, the big get for the upcoming season was a transfer commitment from Mark Gronowski.

Gronowski, who has been the starting quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits over the last four years, decided to take his talents to Iowa to play for head coach Kirk Ferentz.

While he had not received much national media attention before this season, he has drawn a lot of eyes since joining the Hawkeyes.

Ahead of the upcoming campaign, Gronowski is starting to be talked about as a potential prospect to watch in the 2026 NFL draft.

Jordan Reid, a draft analyst for ESPN, has noted Gronowski's name as one of the top quarterbacks to watch for the 2026 draft class.

"Gronowski had a historic career at South Dakota State, leading the Jackrabbits to two national championships and tying for the most-ever wins (49) for an FCS starting quarterback," Reid wrote. "He flirted with entering the 2025 NFL draft and even got an invite to the combine but decided to go to Iowa, whose offense showed improvement in 2024. The 6-3, 230-pounder is a densely built passer who can also make plays with his legs."

Throughout his four-year career at South Dakota State, Gronowski has thrown for 7,865 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.

Not only is Gronowski a threat through the air, he can also make plays with his legs. He has run for 1,091 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground.

Iowa seems to have landed a quarterback that will take its passing game to the next level. It will be interesting to see if he lives up to the hype.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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