Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz Crushed With Brutal Transfer Portal Take

The Iowa Hawkeyes typically don't make much use of the transfer portal, as head coach Kirk Ferentz has openly said he prefers to build from within.

However, in a modern era of college football in which NIL has made the transfer portal imperative, Ferentz has had no choice but to dip into it this offseason.

Iowa actually did make some noise, landing quarterback Mark Gronowski and wide receiver Sam Phillips to bolster its offense while also bringing in some intriguing offensive linemen.

Of course, the Hawkeyes also lost some pieces to the transfer portal, and they also saw some of their top players either declare for the NFL Draft or run out of eligibility.

As a result, Iowa may not have improved in terms of overall talent, on On3's transfer portal score actually feels that the Hawkeyes lost talent now that the spring portal window has closed.

Did the talent of each Big Ten roster improve or decline in the transfer portal?

Based on On3's Team Transfer Portal Index Score. pic.twitter.com/RS2VrFIToW
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) May 5, 2025

This is a pretty rough take given that Iowa finally appears to have an answer at quarterback, as Gronowski won the FCS Walter Payton Award back in 2023 at South Dakota State, and Phillips could bring some explosiveness to the table at wide receiver.

But losing Kaleb Johnson to the draft obviously hurts, and so does seeing numerous defensive players—such as Jay Higgins, Yahya Black, Jermari Harris and Sebastian Castro—depart.

Iowa went 8-5 last season and lost to the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl, completing what was an overall disappointing campaign at Iowa City.

Perhaps the moves the Hawkeyes have made offensively will push them to another level in 2025, regardless of their transfer portal score.

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