Iowa Hawkeyes' Mark Gronowski Named Dark Horse Heisman Candidate

Iowa Hawkeyes' newest quarterback Mark Gronowski was recently named a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) throws during a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress-The Des Moines Register | Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the 2025 college football season quickly approaching, the Iowa Hawkeyes newest addition at the quarterback position is beginning to gain hype before his debut in the black and gold.

Action Networks' Mike Calabrese recently discussed how Hawkeyes transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski could be a potential Heisman Trophy candidate due to head coach Kirk Ferentz's success with dual-threat playmakers at the helm.

"In 2002, Brad Banks went ballistic for Kirk Ferentz, throwing for 26 touchdowns while rushing for 423 yards and five more scores," Calabrese wrote. "He led Iowa to the Orange Bowl and was rewarded with a second-place finish in the Heisman race. Gronowski has the potential to put up bigger numbers in Tim Lester’s offense. Lester was brought in to turn around a tire fire of an offense in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes' average offensive finish in the three years before Lester’s arrival was 118th in scoring and 128th in total offense. In one year, he elevated the Iowa attack to 72nd in scoring, a 12.3-point upgrade year-over-year — and that was without competent quarterback play. The combination of Gronowski and the master of the slow mesh, former Wake Forest offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero, has major breakout potential."

After a tremendous four-year stretch at the FCS level with South Dakota State, Gronowski decided to make the jump to the power-four level this offseason and transfer to Iowa. During his time with the Jackrabbits, the veteran quarterback accumulated over 10,000 passing yards and 93 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground.

The addition of a dual-threat quarterback with plenty of experience is perfect for offensive coordinator Tim Lester and the Hawkeyes' offense. Redshirt sophomore running back Kamari Moulton is expected to take on the workload of Kaleb Johnson, who was recently selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He showed promise in 2024, as the young back averaged 5.6 yards per carry behind Johnson. Iowa's rushing threat will open up more opportunities for Gronowski in the passing game, which could lead to a more efficient Hawkeyes' offensive in 2025.

Gronowski's odds of winning the Heisman Trophy are +15000 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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