The biggest question around Iowa entering Saturday is still the same one that has hung over the quarterback room all summer, but the real buzz may come from somewhere else entirely.
Kirk Ferentz has made it clear that Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown will both get “ample” chances in the Sept. 5 season opener against Northern Illinois, and that has kept the conversation focused on who will take the first meaningful step in the job battle. Ferentz repeated that message on his radio show Wednesday night, and the uncertainty has only grown after Big Ten Network’s camp stop described a rough, turnover-heavy day for Hecklinski.
Still, the most intriguing name in Kinnick on Saturday might be Tony Diaz.
The Rio Grande Valley State transfer arrives as Iowa’s listed No. 14 and the primary “Z” receiver, and he’s the kind of speed threat the Hawkeyes have been waiting to unleash. Diaz was relatively quiet on Kids’ Day, which may have been by design, but the reviews from spring and summer have been glowing. Ferentz even brought up Bob Sanders and Marshal Yanda when talking about Diaz’s game.
Diaz said this week that he knows what his job is if the ball comes his way.
“Put it somewhere near us, we gotta go make a play,” Diaz said this week.
The 5-foot-10, 184-pound Texan said he is fully healthy for Week 1 after dealing with lingering issues in the spring. He also said he would grade himself an “A” on his understanding of the playbook, and believes receivers coach Jon Budmayr would agree.
“That was my biggest thing, just trying to get that down. Because when I get the playbook down, I'm able to play fast,” Diaz said. “I'm able to line up and not have to think about my route, I can think about the defense and whether they’re man or zone, what the linebackers are going to do.”
That matters because offensive coordinator Tim Lester has been waiting to see what Diaz’s speed can unlock. If Diaz is as dangerous as Iowa believes, the quarterback picture should get a little clearer, too.
Saturday also offers a chance for Lester’s offense to chase some real benchmarks in Year 3 under his direction. Iowa’s best outputs during the Lester era have been 47 points against UMass in 2025, 492 yards against Illinois State in 2024 and 251 passing yards, also against Illinois State. If Diaz and the rest of the receiving group - Reece Vander Zee, Evan James and DJ Vonnahme among them - show out, those marks could be in play.
Northern Illinois comes in at 0-0 with a new interim coach in Rob Harley and only five starters back from a 3-9 team in 2025, none of them on defense. The Huskies have not named a quarterback, though Western Carolina transfer Taron Dickens is expected to start.
Dickens led the FCS in completion percentage a year ago at 74.2%, so Iowa’s young defense will have to be sharp. Northern Illinois could also try to challenge the Hawkeyes’ unproven defensive line with Telly Johnson Jr., who averaged 5.74 yards per carry in 2025.
Iowa’s advantages are much more obvious. The Hawkeyes should be able to lean on a powerful offensive line in the heat and create room for Kamari Moulton, LJ Phillips or Nathan McNeil.
DJ Vonnahme gives Iowa a tight end who can create problems for any defense. And on defense and punt returns, Zach Lutmer stands out as the best player on the field.
The line has Iowa favored by 31½ points, and Chad Leistikow’s prediction lands at Iowa 52, Northern Illinois 7. In that view, both Hecklinski and Brown take positive steps, each throwing for more than 125 yards and a touchdown, leaving the quarterback debate unresolved but trending in a good direction heading into Cy-Hawk week.
In Other News...
Iowas Week 1 Opponent Just Became A Much Tougher Opener
Northern Illinois suddenly has a different look heading into its 2026 opener against Iowa. Rob Harley has been promoted to interim head coach after Thomas Hammock left for a coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks, putting the Huskies in the hands of a new leader at a time when roster stability can get shaky fast. Harley responded by meeting extensively with players, a crucial step with the transfer portal reopening and the program trying to hold on to as much of its core as possible.
For Iowa, the matchup just picked up a little more intrigue before the calendar even turns to 2026. An opener against a team with coaching change uncertainty can become a lot easier to circle, but it can also get trickier if the new staff keeps the roster together and gets buy-in quickly. Harley's first game in charge will be against the Hawkeyes, and the early test now carries the added weight of a program trying to steady itself while the rest of the country waits to see what survives the transition. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Got Another Big Reason To Believe In Its O-Line
Kade Pieper is starting to draw the kind of preseason attention that tells you just how much respect Iowas offensive line has earned around the Big Ten. Big Ten Network analyst Jake Butt ranked Pieper sixth among the conferences top players entering the 2026 season and pointed to his pro future, projecting him as a likely early selection in the 2027 NFL Draft. For a program that has long treated line play as an identity, that kind of recognition is more than a nice storyline.
It also gives the Hawkeyes another reason to feel good about what should be the backbone of the roster. Pieper and Trevor Lauck are expected to anchor an offensive line that looks like one of Iowas biggest strengths, and the more external praise Pieper gets, the clearer it becomes that this group could drive the teams ceiling. For Iowa, the question is no longer whether the line can be a strength, but how far it can carry everything around it. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Is Honoring A Hawkeye Lineman Fans Will Never Forget
Iowa is set to add another familiar name to its long line of celebrated linemen, with former offensive tackle Brandon Scherff chosen as the 2026 ANF Wall of Honor recipient. Scherff was one of the defining players of the Hawkeyes 2011-14 run, piling up major individual honors before becoming a top-five NFL draft pick in 2015, and his place on the wall fits the programs decades-long habit of saluting the rugged blockers who have helped shape its identity.
The recognition will come during Iowas game against Ohio State on October 7, giving fans a chance to salute a player whose Iowa career left a lasting mark long before his pro career ended in August 2025. Even in a program built on offensive line pride, Scherff stands out as one of the names supporters remember most clearly, which makes this honor feel less like a formality and more like a nod to a Hawkeye they truly never forgot. [Read more 🡒]