Enough chatter. Iowa football finally gets to show what this version of the Hawkeyes looks like.
No. 22 Iowa opens the season Sept. 5 with a sold-out matchup against Northern Illinois, a team that has pulled off early upsets against Power Four opponents before. This time, the Huskies are doing it with a new coaching staff, led by interim head coach Rob Harley.
For Iowa, the opener is about more than just getting to 1-0. It’s also a chance to sort through a few lingering battles and start turning some of the unknowns into answers. The Hawkeyes have their own issues to settle, and Week 1 should tell them plenty.
One of the biggest decisions centers on quarterback, and Kirk Ferentz has already said both quarterbacks will play. What Iowa still doesn’t have is a precise script for how the snaps will be split between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown.
That makes this a game where the simplest approach may be the best one: let the hotter quarterback keep rolling. In a live game, with actual momentum swings and pressure moments, Iowa can learn a lot by seeing which quarterback handles the flow better and which one settles in when the rhythm changes.
The same kind of evaluation goes for the offense as a whole, especially with Tim Lester in charge. Iowa isn’t about to empty the playbook in the opener, but there should still be enough on the table to give fans a real glimpse of what the unit can do.
Northern Illinois enters without a single returning starter on defense, and that opens the door for Iowa’s receivers, tight ends and running backs to make some noise. The transfers in particular are worth tracking. Tony Diaz, Evan James and LJ Phillips all offer something different, and Game 1 should at least give a first look at how they fit.
On the other side of the ball, Iowa’s defensive line is also in focus. The group has a new look this season, and the depth chart points to defensive line coach Kelvin Bell and coordinator Phil Parker mixing and matching packages and blitzes.
That group won’t be fully unveiled either, but NIU’s offense does bring back players who can make an impact. If Iowa’s front can build some early confidence in this one, that could go a long way toward helping it find consistency.
It’s Week 1, so perfection is off the table. But Iowa should have enough to put together a solid opening-night performance at Kinnick Stadium.
Prediction: Iowa 35, NIU 10.
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 🡒]