Hopeful Hawkeyes Land Coveted Quarterback via the Portal

You have to hand it to the Iowa Hawkeye football program. When they go after a high-profile quarterback in the transfer portal, they get their man! While it doesn't always translate to results on the field, see Cade McNamara, you have to give it to the Hawkeyes for taking a big swing. Tuesday, Iowa got word that they landed their starting quarterback for the 2025 football season.

That quarterback is Mark Gronowski. Hawk Central reports that the former South Dakota State starting quarterback won 49 games and two National Championships in four years with the Jack Rabbits. The bottom line? Gronowski is a winner and he'll be expected to lead the Iowa offense in 2025.

Hawk Central reports that Gronowski considered the NFL after five years with South Dakota State. But a strong pitch from Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester and attractive NIL money from Iowa's SWARM collective closed the deal. After missing the 2021 season due to injury, Gronowski recovered and led South Dakota State to back-to-back National Championships. Their quest for a third straight title ended this year in the FCS semifinals.

So what kind of QB are the Hawkeyes getting? Hawk Central reports that Gronowski is an accurate thrower, with a career completion rate of 64%. He has thrown for 93 touchdowns and has run for 37 scores. So what do you say to Iowa fans who fear this is Cade McNamara 2.0? There are no guarantees in sports. All you can do is bring players in you think will help your team win. Now it's up to Iowa to make Gronowski work.