Iowa Hawkeyes Receive High Rating Ahead of 2025 Season

The Iowa Hawkeyes recently received a high rating prior to the team's 2025 campaign.

Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz shakes hands with an official during a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress/For the Register | Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Iowa Hawkeyes' head coach Kirk Ferentz begins to prepare his squad for the 2025 college football season, the program is starting to gain some hype heading into the upcoming year.

Longtime college football writer Phil Steele recently released his annual College Football Preview magazine, with the Iowa Hawkeyes ranked as the No. 33 team ahead of the 2025 season.

"I talk about how team with continuity and few transfers have success," Steele wrote. "Iowa did not get many transfers but will have their best QB play in years with Mark [Gronowski], a QB that led South Dakota St. to two titles."

The addition of Gronowski was one of the best transfer-portal signings this offseason, as the veteran quarterback threw for over 10,000 yards in his four seasons with the Jackrabbits. With his dual-threat playmaking ability at the helm in 2025, the Hawkeyes will look to have one of their best passing attacks in recent memory.

Steele also discussed the program's schedule for the 2025 season, which features multiple challenging home games against Oregon and Penn State.

"They do host Indiana, Oregon and Penn State and have five Big Ten home games," Steele said. "Win those, and they are a contender. Lose those, and they have USC, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Rutgers on the road. Coach Ferentz will have the Hawkeyes near the top as usual."

The two home games against Penn State and Oregon are easily the most difficult part of Iowa's schedule, as both teams made an appearance in the 2024-25 College Football Playoffs. However, the Hawkeyes' Big Ten Conference road games will truly define the program's 2025 campaign. Their matchups against the USC, Nebraska and Rutgers could be considered winnable games, depending on the offensive production in 2025

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