Iowa Football Week 6 Depth Chart: QB Health Highlights the Takeaways

Despite leaving the game banged up against Ohio State, it appears that it is still Hank Brown's job as Iowa's quarterback, among other takeaways.

Oct 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown (9) warms up before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While some may have suspected changes coming in this week's depth chart for the Iowa Hawkeyes after Hank Brown left the game versus Ohio State banged up, which opened the door for Jeremy Hecklinski to engineer a touchdown drive, things are staying the same.

Are we really surprised, though? Iowa sticks to its ways through thick and thin. The Hawkeyes are going to roll with the guys who got them to 4-1. Can you really blame them for staying with what has largely worked up to this point?

With Washington on the horizon, Iowa released its Week 6 depth chart before the Friday night kickoff. Let's get into what stands out from this week's depth chart.

Week 6 \\ Depth Chart \\ at Washington pic.twitter.com/EHsMn7ZtTg

— HawkeyeFBNotes (@HawkeyeFBNotes) October 5, 2026

Hank Brown is healthy enough to start... we think

Hank Brown must have a semi-decent bill of health after leaving the Ohio State game to have his name atop the depth chart as Iowa's QB1. Jeremy Hecklinski was thrown into a tough situation but performed admirably, going 5-for-5 for 67 yards.

Could things change as the week goes on? Of course, but putting Hank at the top of the depth chart tells me Iowa is going to try to have him ready to go, even if potentially banged up a bit.

Could Iowa go back to a quarterback rotation?

I do think we could see this door open back up on offense if Hank Brown is less than 100%, which may be the case. Jeremy Hecklinski moved the ball against Ohio State, so he may have earned his ticket to more snaps against Washington.

It could be a fantastic wrinkle for Iowa to bring to this game. Iowa isn't the only one preparing for this game on a short week. Adding in some packages or plays for Jeremy Hecklinski could be a wrinkle to give Iowa's offense a spark on plays Washington may not be as prepared for.

Running back depth remains fluid

Kamari Moulton remains atop the depth chart, but behind him is Xavier Williams. That is more of a placeholder in my eyes than a commitment to the depth chart. Iowa is deep at running back, and I think we will see others get carries, too.

I expect to see L.J. Phillips Jr. work his way into the rotation more after returning from his absence against Ohio State and getting some action. Braeden Jackson is forcing his way into the rotation, and Nathan McNeil has proven to have enough pop to get carries.