Iowa’s newest quarterback commitment is already getting the kind of treatment that signals real trust inside the program.
Four-star quarterback Tradon Bessinger, who flipped from Boise State after a late October visit with the Hawkeyes, traveled with Iowa for its road game at Minnesota last weekend. For a first-year player, that’s a meaningful move. Road travel spots are limited to 80 players, so every seat on the plane is earned.
Bessinger, a 6-foot-5, 213-pound quarterback from Kaysville, Utah, had not yet seen the field when the season began, but Iowa is clearly thinking beyond the immediate future with him. The staff’s decision to bring him along gave him a chance to experience the game-day routine, even if his odds of playing were slim.
Kirk Ferentz laid out the reasoning during his weekly media availability.
"Yeah, he's a beneficiary of the new rule," Ferentz said. "Our rosters are squeezed down where we're the few, the proud, the free anymore. With our practices out there, our scout teams are basically decimated in the new world, but the good thing in the new world, you can travel 80 instead of whatever it was, 74, so we get a little room there.
"He's going to be a player in the future. We wanted to get him used to just being in the game routine and traveling, all those types of things.
That's a positive, that 74 to 80, because it allows us to travel more guys than we used to, although I'm not a big fan in taking people that are going to be spectators. It's not a field trip either, but for him it was valuable, and we'll keep doing that."
Iowa still has two road games left in the regular season, at No. 18 Northwestern and at Illinois. If Ferentz follows through on what he said, Bessinger should be part of those trips too.
The message from Iowa is pretty clear: this isn’t just about getting a young quarterback a seat on the bus. The program is treating Bessinger like someone it expects to matter, possibly as soon as next season. Traveling with the team is one more step in that direction.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Made A Big Ten Statement Wisconsin Fans Wont Forget
In a rivalry that has been going on for generations, Iowa delivered a result that will linger in Madison for a while. The Hawkeyes blanked No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 in the 100th meeting between the programs, leaning on a sharp outing from quarterback Hank Brown, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense held the Badgers to 235 total yards.
It was Iowas second straight shutout of Wisconsin, and the win pulled the all-time series even at 49-49-2. For Luke Fickells team, the frustration was obvious after a game in which Wisconsin never found any traction, while Iowa walked away with a statement victory that fit the moment and the history attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Sent Wisconsin Another Message Fans Wont Ignore
Iowas latest meeting with Wisconsin looked a lot like the last few, only more lopsided. The Hawkeyes rolled to a 30-0 win, their fifth straight over the Badgers and their second consecutive shutout, with Hank Brown giving the offense a steadier rhythm by completing 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that let Iowa control the game on both sides, and it also suggested the coaching adjustments made this week were aimed squarely at keeping the pressure on an opponent that has had trouble solving the Hawkeyes.
Even with the defense smothering Wisconsin again, there were still a few loose ends for Iowa to clean up, especially the fumbles from Xavier Williams. Those mistakes did not change the outcome this time, but they remain the sort of issue that can matter more when the games get tighter. For now, though, Iowa has another emphatic result to point to, and Wisconsin has another reminder that this matchup has become a problem it has not figured out how to fix. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Flipped This Rivalry Back In Its Favor
The 100th meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin had the feel of a hinge game, and the Hawkeyes handled it with the kind of balance that has defined their best wins in this rivalry. Hank Brown was sharp throughout, completing 83% of his passes for 222 yards, while Caden Buhr supplied the kind of steady scoring that can quietly swing a tight Big Ten game by drilling three field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder.
Iowa also leaned on the parts of its identity that travel well in November, forcing two turnovers and getting enough on the ground to stay in control with 140 rushing yards and a touchdown. The result evened the all-time series at 49-49-2, a neat marker for a matchup that has spent decades tilting back and forth, and it leaves the Hawkeyes with a little extra leverage the next time this familiar rivalry comes around. [Read more 🡒]