Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Earns Jaw-Dropping 'Elite' Outlook

The Iowa Hawkeyes have experienced seemingly never-ending issues at the quarterback position over the years, but they might finally have their answer.

Iowa was able to land former South Dakota State star Mark Gronowski via the transfer portal this offseason, and Gronowski will almost surely be the best signal-caller the Hawkeyes have had in recent memory.

ESPN's Max Olson absolutely loves what Gronowski will bring to the table at Iowa City, and he ranked the former FCS Walter Payton Award winner as the 44th-best transfer addition of the year.

Additionally, fellow ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill has incredibly high expectations for Gronowski heading into the 2025 campaign.

"This guy is the very definition of substance over style. All he does is make good decisions and win," Luginbill wrote. "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. "

Gronowski is recovering from a shoulder injury that required surgery, so that has absolutely been a concern for Iowa, but he is expected to be fully healthy for next season and has flashed tremendous potential in previous campaigns.

Two years ago, the 23-year-old threw for 3,058 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 68.1 percent of his passes and punching in eight rushing scores.

The only problem is that Gronowski has just one year of eligibility remaining, so the Hawkeyes might be back to square one once the Naperville, Il. native departs after next season.

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