Spring football is here, and after spending the last month watching the basketball team make a historic March Madness run, it’s time to pivot to the other sport that makes Iowa City tick. Kirk Ferentz opened spring practice on March 25 for his 28th season at the helm, and there is no shortage of storylines to follow as the Hawkeyes begin preparations for 2026.
Iowa lost 8 players to the portal while graduating 24 seniors and will bring in 34 new faces
— 16 transfers and 18 freshmen — for next season. The 11 freshmen already on campus for spring practice is a high in Ferentz’s tenure. As he noted to media, this reflects the new reality of college football: roster building now starts in January, not August. Only a handful of practices are in the books so far, but the early returns have given us plenty to chew on.
A New-Look Coaching Staff
Ferentz made four significant coaching staff changes heading into spring, and they’re worth paying attention to.
Jay Norvell — yes, the former Nevada and Colorado State head coach who was an All-Big Ten safety on Iowa’s 1985 Big Ten championship team — is now the running backs coach after initially joining the staff as an offensive analyst. Having a nine-year head coaching veteran coaching a position group is a massive upgrade in experience and recruiting credibility.
Billy VandeMerkt has transitioned to quarterbacks coach, with offensive coordinator Tim Lester now overseeing the entire offense. Chris Polizzi takes over special teams coordination from LeVar Woods, who departed for Michigan State. And Kevin Spencer returned to the staff, giving Lester another experienced voice in the room.
The Quarterback Battle
This is the one everyone wants to talk about, and rightfully so. With Mark Gronowski off to the NFL, Iowa needs a new starter under center, and two transfer quarterbacks are battling for the job.
Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are splitting first-team reps down the middle, and Ferentz has made it clear this competition isn’t getting resolved anytime soon. “They’re both making progress,” Ferentz said. The competition will likely extend through spring and into fall camp.
The two couldn’t be more different. Hecklinski is the smaller, more mobile option — Ferentz compared him to Drew Tate, noting “he’s not afraid to throw it and throw it in there” but needs to learn timing in the system. He saw action in two games last season and recorded his first college touchdown in the 41-3 rout over Minnesota. Brown is the classic pocket passer with NFL size who passed for 535 yards and six touchdowns across two seasons at Auburn before a limited role at Iowa last year (perhaps most notably, coming in for a couple of series against Indiana we would all like to forget).
Mark Gronowski himself weighed in on the competition, praising both guys and noting that whoever wins the job will have a strong supporting cast around them. The passing game still needs to take a major step forward — Iowa ranked 127th nationally in passing last season — and the new starter will need to change that narrative.
The Defensive Line Question
If the quarterback battle is the headline, the defensive line is the subplot that could define the season. Iowa lost six of eight rotational defensive linemen from last year’s group — an absolutely massive amount of experience. Ferentz was characteristically measured about it: “You can’t microwave experience.”
The Hawkeyes need young guys to grow up fast. Bryce Hawthorne transferred in from South Dakota State and is expected to lead the group, but he has reportedly been sidelined early in his tenure due to a knee injury.
This unit is going to look completely different than what we saw last fall. During Thursday’s open period, it was a pair of walk-ons in Will Hubert and Luke Gaffney running with the first team in the middle. On the outside, it was a pair of more familiar names in Epenesa and Merriweather.
How quickly the newcomers adapt to Phil Parker’s system will go a long way toward determining whether Iowa’s defense remains elite or takes a step back. It’s a razor thin margin but Parker has obviously earned out trust.
The Offensive Line Rebuild
Iowa lost three starters from the offensive line to the NFL, and the competition for those spots is wide open. “Anybody’s game right now,” Ferentz said, which is both exciting and a little terrifying. Iowa’s identity is built on the run game and protecting the quarterback, so how quickly this unit gels will be critical. The good news: Iowa has been OLU for decades, and the development pipeline isn’t going to dry up overnight.
Early reports from Thursdays practice which was open to the media indicate a first team group of Trevor Lauck, Leighton Jones, Kade Pieper, Lucas Allgeyer, and Jack Dotzler, though it’s worth noting Mike Myslinsky was reportedly not participating. This will be a story line to continue to monitory throughout the spring and into fall camp.
Special Teams Overhaul
This might be the most underrated storyline of the spring. Iowa lost an absurd amount of special teams talent: Drew Stevens (program’s all-time leader in field goals and 50+ yarders), Kaden Wetjen (arguably the best return man in school history), punter Rhys Dakin, and special teams coordinator LeVar Woods. That’s essentially an entire special teams overhaul in one offseason.
Iowa brought in Australian punter Boston Everitt who will need to adjust to the college game, but reports from media members who have been allowed into practice seem to indicate he is next in the long line of guys who have made us believe punting is winning. He reportedly has tremendous aim with his directional punts, which could make for some killer coffin corners.
The kicking competition is wide open. For a program that has historically won games on the margins with field position and special teams, getting this unit right is non-negotiable.
Standout Newcomers
While KF his typically been pretty mum on singing the praises of young guys, Ferentz has called out a few newcomers who have impressed early. If history is any indication, that’s a pretty good sign of playing time to come.
Tony Diaz (WR) has drawn praise for his production and catching ability despite being only a few weeks into the system. L.J. Phillips (RB) reminded Ferentz of former Hawkeye Norm Granger in terms of maturity and personality — a high compliment from a coach who has been doing this for 28 years.
Phillips helps build on an already solid RB group, but the emergence of Diaz as a guy who can get open and catches just about everything could be a true revelation for this offense. That’s especially true given the reports on Hecklinski being a true gunslinger with Ferentz saying, “there’s not a window he doesn’t think he can fit it into.”
The Bottom Line
Year 28 under Ferentz brings plenty of roster turnover, but also reasons for optimism that we haven’t always seen on the offensive side of the ball. The quarterback competition is legitimate with two guys who bring different skill sets. The coaching staff additions — particularly Norvell — add real experience and recruiting juice. The defensive line needs to develop quickly, and special teams is a complete reset. But this is still Iowa football, and Ferentz has been navigating roster transitions since before most of the current roster was born.
Want to see all of this for yourself? Iowa has announced that the annual open spring practice will be held April 25 at Kinnick Stadium. Gates open at 9:45 AM CT with practice starting at 10:45 AM CT. Entry is free — fans can enter through Gates A (south end zone), B (southwest), and H (northwest) and sit in the south and west stands. Regular game-day search procedures will be in place.
This is your first chance to see the 27 new faces in action, get a read on the quarterback competition, and watch the new coaching staff in their element. If you’re in Iowa City, there’s no excuse not to be there.
Go Hawks.
