Iowa Hawkeyes' HC Kirk Ferentz Reveals Excitement for QB Mark Gronowski

With the 2025 Big Ten Conference Media Days in full swing, Iowa Hawkeyes' fans were able to get some insight from head coach Kirk Ferentz on the team's recent transfer portal acquisition, quarterback Mark Gronowski.

When asked about Gronowski during the media days on Thursday, Ferentz told reporters that he is "looking forward to seeing him in the huddle and leading" the Hawkeyes this season.

"I can tell you after being around him for 7+ months, he's a tremendous young man, " Ferentz said. "...All the things we thought were positives, we've seen first hand. Really looking forward to seeing him in the huddle and leading this team."

After the Hawkeyes' quarterback dilemma in 2024, Ferentz made it a point to find a veteran with experience that could take the helm for the upcoming season. This prompted Iowa to sign Gronowski in the transfer portal this offseason, who is coming off a stellar four seasons at the FCS level with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

Ferentz also gave insight into how Growonski has progressed with the program this offseason, claiming that his numbers in the strength program are impressive compared to his peers.

“We’ve seen him do some testing and stuff in the strength program this summer that’s extremely impressive and the numbers that he puts up are awfully impressive, compared to his peers," Ferentz claimed. "That doesn’t happen by accident. He’s worked on it. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t transition and play pretty well.”

With the Hawkeyes' key offensive piece from last season in running back Kaleb Johnson off to the NFL, the addition of Gronowski becomes even more critical for the program heading into the 2025 season. The dual-threat threw for over 10,000 yards in his four seasons with the Jackrabbits, while also rushing for over 1,000 yards on the ground.

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