IOWA CITY, Iowa — For nearly five years, Iowa football has been known for a strange mix of success and frustration. The team’s defense and special teams have been strong, but the offense has struggled, leading to jokes like the popular “Punting is Winning” T-shirts created by former All-America punter Tory Taylor.
Taylor and other top punters helped Iowa’s defense by giving them good field position. In 2023, Iowa’s defense was one of the best in the country. They allowed the fewest yards per play for the second year in a row and gave up only 14.8 points per game. This was despite playing 970 defensive snaps, the fourth most in the nation. The strong defense and special teams helped Iowa win 89 games since 2015. This is the 11th most wins among power conference teams during that time.
However, the offense has been a problem. In 2023, Iowa scored only 15.4 points per game and gained just 234.6 yards per game. This was the lowest offensive yardage in the Big Ten in 39 years. Despite this, Iowa won 10 games and the Big Ten West Division title. Yet, many people focused more on the team’s “Drive for 325” points plan from offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s new contract than on their wins.
The Big Ten is expanding and ending divisions, so Iowa needed to improve its offense or risk falling behind. The first major change came last year when head coach Kirk Ferentz hired Tim Lester to replace his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. The second big move was in January, when Iowa added Mark Gronowski, an FCS All-American quarterback from South Dakota State, through the transfer portal.
Lester and Gronowski are now working to change Iowa’s offense from a weakness into a strength. This spring, the offense looked very different from the struggling 2023 team. Receivers were getting open regularly, and the offensive line was creating running lanes. Once Gronowski finishes recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and begins June workouts, the Hawkeyes could fix their biggest problem.
Wide receiver Jacob Gill said, “I’ve heard that usually the defense dominates practices. But we’re taking a different approach. We’re coming with a chip on our shoulder, ready to dominate.”
Gronowski was the 2023 FCS player of the year and has won two national championships. Over four seasons, he threw for 10,309 yards and accounted for 131 touchdowns at South Dakota State. His arrival could finally answer a question many asked during the last two seasons: “How good could Iowa be with a solid quarterback?”
Kirk Ferentz said, “Good quarterback play makes things easier. That has been a challenge for us. Everyone knows it.”
Good quarterbacks are hard to find through the transfer portal, but if Gronowski can lead the team to wins, he will be a valuable addition. Since 2017, every freshman quarterback Iowa recruited left the program early. Four transfer quarterbacks also left before using all their eligibility. The only quarterback left from last year is walk-on Jackson Stratton, who started two games after injuries hit the team.
In the past four seasons, Iowa quarterbacks combined for 38 touchdown passes and 37 interceptions. The last quarterback to consistently lift Iowa’s offense was C.J. Beathard, who led the team to 12 wins in 2015. Iowa tried to fix its quarterback problems by bringing in Michigan transfer Cade McNamara two years ago. But injuries and inconsistent play prevented him from helping the team much.
For 2025, Iowa first tried to get former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, who chose Missouri instead. After South Dakota State’s FCS playoff ended, Gronowski thought about entering the NFL Draft. He was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl, but his injury required surgery, delaying his NFL plans. He entered the transfer portal and received interest from many FBS schools.
Gronowski said, “At one point, I had over 100 missed calls and texts. It was even crazier when my old coaching staff left.”
When South Dakota State’s head coach Jimmy Rogers moved to Washington State, Gronowski became a top target. Miami also wanted him but chose Carson Beck with a $3 million offer. Gronowski’s offers were over $2.5 million, typical for top quarterbacks. Iowa, which will start paying athletes up to about $20.5 million in shared revenue on July 1, was able to compete. With support from its Swarm Collective, Iowa stayed in the race for Gronowski.
Ferentz said, “We saw his film, and that says a lot. Quarterback is a leadership role. He clearly showed that by leading his team to many victories. That’s very impressive.”
Gronowski, who grew up about three hours east of Iowa City in Chicago’s suburbs, liked Iowa’s new offensive style, tough culture, and consistency. He felt he could succeed and compete for a College Football Playoff spot in his final college season. Iowa did not offer the most money but was among the top choices.
Gronowski said, “Using the transfer portal is part of college football. You have to take opportunities, but money wasn’t the only factor.”
Iowa also signed two other transfer quarterbacks — Hank Brown from Auburn and Jeremy Hecklinski from Wake Forest — plus true freshman Jimmy Sullivan and plans for two 2026 freshmen. The team hopes to build stability and avoid yearly quarterback changes.
Tyler Barnes, Iowa’s general manager, said, “It’s like the NFL. If you can draft and develop a quarterback for four years, you save money compared to signing free agents. We want to focus on recruiting high school quarterbacks but will use the portal if needed.”
Gronowski’s signing was the boldest move this offseason, but improving Iowa’s offense took more than a new quarterback. When Lester joined in January 2024 after working with the Green Bay Packers, he brought an offense inspired by Mike Shanahan. The system uses long play calls and lots of pre-snap movement.
The offense still uses zone running, a style Iowa has long followed. But adding mid-zone runs helped running back Kaleb Johnson get downfield faster. Offensive linemen adjusted their blocking by aiming for defenders’ helmets rather than jersey numbers. The blocking style stayed aggressive, not just trying to stop defenders at the line. Iowa’s pre-snap motions and disguised formations confused opponents and even Iowa defenders during practice. This was different from before Lester arrived.
Former Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins said, “You don’t know where to look or what to expect. I would hate to play Iowa because they can do anything.”
The 2024 Iowa offense ranked second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, averaging 197.2 — their best since 2002. They had the most runs over 20 yards in the conference with 28. They scored 38 or more points five times, including three straight home games over Washington, Northwestern, and Wisconsin with 40+ points. This spring, Wisconsin defenders ended practice with 42 pushups, reminding them of their 42-10 loss to Iowa in November.
Linebacker Darryl Peterson said, “When have you ever heard of Iowa scoring 42 points? That’s unacceptable, especially for those guys.”
Lester set a goal to improve the offense’s national ranking by half in most stats. Last year, Iowa rose from 132nd out of 134 teams in scoring to 72nd, averaging 27.7 points per game. He avoids setting exact numbers for the team but wants his quarterback to focus on “positive plays,” avoiding sacks and interceptions.
Lester said, “Especially with an aggressive style, the quarterback needs to bail us out when needed. Get short yards or throw the ball away. Just don’t take a sack or throw a pick.”
To help with planning, Ferentz hired former Wake Forest offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero and former New York Jets coach Billy VandeMerkt as analysts. New running backs coach Omar Young also has NFL Shanahan offense experience. Lester said having them is “fantastic because they speak the language.”
The staff is confident at running back and tight end even after losing Johnson and Luke Lachey to the NFL. The offensive line has potential All-Americans center Logan Jones and right tackle Gennings Dunker. This spring, Iowa recruited Bryce George, a Division II All-American left tackle from Ferris State, beating out USC.
There is hope at receiver for the first time in years. The group returns almost all their catches from 2024. Iowa also signed Sam Phillips from Chattanooga, who has 154 catches and over 2,100 yards at the FCS level.
Receiver Kaden Wetjen said, “I’m pushing this unit to be the best it’s been in a while. If we put everything together, we could be special this fall.”
Gronowski’s arrival does not guarantee Iowa will become a College Football Playoff contender. The 2024 schedule includes tough teams like Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Rutgers, and USC. With such a schedule, Iowa can no longer rely only on defense and special teams. Thanks to Lester’s new offense and Gronowski’s leadership, Iowa now has more to offer. No more punting jokes, no more “Drives,” just more yards and more points.
Gronowski said, “Seeing how the offense improved from the previous year made me excited. It made me happy about the growth we will have this offseason.”
