With week one closing in, Iowa still hasn’t settled the biggest question on its offense: who gets the first snap at quarterback.
Kirk Ferentz has held that decision close throughout the offseason, and he hasn’t budged as the opener approaches. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski have spent the summer battling for the job, but Ferentz said earlier this week that there still wasn’t a right choice. That leaves the Hawkeyes in a strange spot heading into Northern Illinois, though the early schedule gives them some breathing room before the stakes rise.
Ferentz said both quarterbacks will see the field Saturday against NIU and will be on a "pitch count." Brown and Hecklinski are each expected to get about 2-3 possessions before the other takes over, a setup that makes this first game feel more like a controlled audition than a clean reveal. It is not a permanent answer, but Iowa can afford to sort through it over the first three weeks.
NIU gives the Hawkeyes a little margin for error. The Huskies have an interim coach and few returning starters, so Iowa has some time to keep evaluating without being forced into a rushed call.
Ferentz has already signaled that the quarterback decision could carry into the first few games, and he has stayed true to that approach. The opening stretch against NIU, Iowa State and Northern Iowa is hardly a gauntlet, but it should help separate the two contenders.
That said, Saturday against NIU probably won’t be the game that settles everything. The clearer checkpoint figures to come in week two when Iowa State visits.
Even with Iowa State in a full rebuild, rivalry games have a way of revealing more than expected, and that matchup should provide a much better read on which quarterback is handling the moment. The player who performs best there should have the inside track to take the full workload against Northern Iowa and get Iowa ready for Michigan in week four.
For now, the Hawkeyes are living with uncertainty at the most important spot on the field. The upside is simple: they have a three-game runway before the Big Ten schedule begins, and that should give the staff a real chance to settle on the right choice.
If Iowa still hasn’t made up its mind by the UNI game, things would look a lot more troubling than they do right now. The real verdict probably won’t come until after the Cy-Hawk rivalry game in week two.
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 🡒]