For Iowa, the most interesting part of the quarterback conversation might not be who opens the season No. 1. It might be the fact that the Hawkeyes finally have something they’ve lacked in recent years: real depth.
That has not been the norm in Iowa City. In 2024, injuries pushed Iowa all the way to fourth-string walk-on Jackson Stratton.
In 2025, backup quarterback play helped derail an upset over Indiana. Those are the kinds of stretches that expose how thin the room has been.
This time, though, the picture looks different entering 2026. A big reason for that, according to the source material, is offensive coordinator Tim Lester and the work he has done developing quarterbacks over the last few seasons.
Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are still the names at the top of the board, but head coach Kirk Ferentz made it clear the discussion goes beyond those two. He pointed to Jimmy Sullivan’s progress as part of a group that also includes Tradon Bessinger and Fitz.
“I'd say the same thing about Jimmy Sullivan. Right now he's really doing some good things out there, too.
I can envision him having a good career. "I'm not trying to drop any secret information out there, but I think we have a good room of three guys right now that are really functioning.
And Tradon and Fitz are doing a good job, too,” Ferentz said when asked about the quarterback in Iowa's program.
Sullivan’s path to meaningful snaps would likely come through bad luck ahead of him, with an injury to one of the top two quarterbacks forcing him into the lineup. That would not be the cleanest route, but it would give him a chance to prove himself under pressure rather than waiting for a natural opening.
He’s been in the program since 2025, and at 6-foot-1 from Fort Wayne, Indiana, he has had time to learn Lester’s scheme. If that understanding carries over, the on-field results could follow quickly.
What stands out about Iowa’s quarterback room now is how much less settled it feels compared with past seasons. Hecklinski and Brown are not as far ahead of Sullivan and four-star freshman Tradon Bessinger as Iowa quarterbacks have often been in previous years.
So while the 2026 quarterback situation may look cloudy at first glance, there is a real upside underneath it. For once, Iowa appears to have a foundation at the position that gives the Hawkeyes more than one way forward.
In Other News...
Iowas Week 1 Opponent Just Became A Much Tougher Opener
Northern Illinois is heading into the 2026 season with a new face at the top, and the timing matters for Iowa fans watching the opener. Rob Harley was elevated to interim head coach after Thomas Hammock left for a coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks, giving the Huskies a new leader at the moment when roster stability can easily crack.
Harley has already spent extensive time meeting with players in an effort to keep most of the roster together after the transfer portal reopened, which makes the matchup feel a little sturdier than it looked a few days ago. His first game in charge will come against Iowa, turning a routine Week 1 assignment into one that now carries a bit more uncertainty than the Hawkeyes probably expected. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Still Has One Big Offensive Decision Before Northern Illinois
The work going into Iowas week of practice has not been limited to polishing the usual early-season details. Kirk Ferentz spent part of his conversation with Gary Dolphin on the Hawkeye Radio Network touching on the teams progress, the leadership being shown in the room and the way some of the younger pieces are settling in. He also offered thoughts on veteran linebackers, gave Northern Illinois its due ahead of the matchup and praised Mason Woods and Ryan Fitzgerald for choosing to stay with the program.
The biggest football question still hanging over the Hawkeyes is at quarterback, where Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski remain part of the discussion before Northern Illinois. Ferentz did not settle the issue in his remarks, which leaves Iowa with one of its more important decisions still to sort through as game week moves on. Outside the lines, the program also announced that Kinnick Stadiums broadcast booth will be named after Gary Dolphin, another sign of how deeply tied he has become to Hawkeye football. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Laucks Mindset Should Fire Up Iowa Fans
Trevor Lauck already carved out a starting role last season, and now the Iowa offensive lineman is heading into the new year with even more attention on him. The preseason honors have followed, with Lauck landing on the First-Team All-Big Ten list and the Outland Trophy watch list, a sign that the Hawkeyes are expecting him to be one of the anchors up front as he continues to grow into the job.
What makes his outlook stand out, though, is the way he is approaching it. Lauck has paired the recognition with an NIL deal through Casey's, while keeping the focus on the basics that matter most for an Iowa lineman: fundamentals and consistency. For a program that has long built its identity in the trenches, that kind of mindset is exactly the sort of thing fans like to see heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]