Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Opt-Out Tracker: Players Missing ReliaQuest Bowl

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 8:30 AM ET

With just one final chance to play alongside their brothers, the Iowa Hawkeyes made the trip to Florida as close to full strength as possible.

Currently ranked No. 23, head coach Kirk Ferentz knows Iowa has a bright future ahead of them. Even with 27 seniors on the roster, he has a ton of faith in his underclassman and that's exactly why some will be on full display during the ReliaQuest Bowl.

That said, opt-outs have become quite common in college football. Unless it's the College Football Playoffs, some players take the selfish route as they prioritize their health going into the NFL draft.

One can't always fault a player for thinking like that, but it does sting that they play with their teammates all year long and then bail the first chance they get. Thankfully for Iowa, that's not something they have to worry about.

Questionable - Cornerback TJ Hall

Ross Harried-Imagn Images

Hall wasn't listed on the first depth chart as he's been out of action since the USC game on November 15. Iowa was able to win their final two games without him, but that doesn't mean they want to face a Heisman finalist without Hall on the field.

Hawkeyes fans were thrilled to learn that Hall was spotted at practice and should be "good to go" for the team's final game of the year. While many had their eyes on the senior cornerback, it took all of the attention off the other bowl game opt outs.

Ultimately, this team decided to stick together. Vanderbilt quickly learned that wasn't going to be the case with All-American tight end Eli Stowers, but other than that both teams will be nearly at full strength for their Top 25 showdown.

Iowa Doesn't Have A Single Opt-Out

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Players have been opting out of Bowl Games left and right, but that isn't the case for the Hawkeyes. No matter how many seniors they have, they're all set to take the field one final time in Tampa.

Even if Hall is a last minute scratch, they'll still be at 98%. This team is as healthy as it gets knowing they haven't played since November 28. That could work against them, but only time will tell.

At the end of the day, this is the perfect send-off for all of Iowa's defensive talent. Whether it's quarterback Mark Gronowski, center Logan Jones, or any of the skilled defensive players on their way out, they'll all have one final chance to play together against the Commodores in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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