Quarterback play has been a sore spot for Iowa for much of the 2020s, a stretch marked by constant turnover, uneven production and injuries that kept the offense from ever really settling in. Then Mark Gronowski arrived from South Dakota State last year and changed the feel of the position almost immediately, giving Iowa City a glimpse of what real quarterback play can look like.
As Iowa heads into the 2026 season with more questions under center and another battle for the starting job, it’s worth sorting through the Hawkeyes’ quarterbacks of the decade and where they fit.
At the top, there’s no mystery. Gronowski sits alone after one season that brought 1,741 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, plus a punishing run game that added 545 yards and 16 more scores.
His only knock is that Iowa got him for just one year. That alone is enough to make Hawkeye fans wonder what might have happened with even one more season.
Spencer Petras belongs near the top too, even if his time in Iowa City was often judged harshly. He dealt with the Brian Ferentz offensive coordinator saga and was asked to operate in a difficult setup, but he still put together 5,199 passing yards and 24 touchdowns while going 21-11 as Iowa’s quarterback.
Deacon Hill also deserves more credit than he usually gets. His completion rate sat at just 48.6%, but he gave Iowa stability, brought a toughness teammates responded to, and started 10 games in 2023 while helping the Hawkeyes go 6-3 with him in command.
Brendan Sullivan made his mark in 2024 by playing in 10 games and throwing for 475 yards and three touchdowns, but it was his red-zone running ability that really stood out. He gave Iowa fans a reminder of how dangerous a quarterback can be when he can threaten defenses on the ground.
Cade McNamara is one of the clearest what-if cases on the list. Injuries kept him from ever fully taking hold over two seasons at Iowa, and while he did throw for 1,522 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games, the fit never quite turned into what the program hoped for.
Jackson Stratton’s place on the list comes with a little legend attached. He was forced into action as the fourth-string quarterback and delivered anyway, finishing 21-for-35 for 219 yards and a touchdown while helping Iowa to a 2-1 record. He’s gone now, but Iowa City won’t forget that run.
Alex Padilla was the backup many fans wanted to see more of, and he became a favorite for that reason. In 13 appearances, he went 77-for-157 for 821 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions before transferring after three years to SMU, where he saw limited action.
Joey Labas only got one start at Iowa, but he made it count. He won the Music City Bowl for the Hawkeyes, going 14-for-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown. After transferring to Central Michigan, he put together a strong year with 1,854 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
The younger names in the room have had far less to work with so far. Hank Brown has only had limited reps, but last season he appeared in three games and finished 11-for-21 for 107 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He enters 2026 with a chance to win the starting job.
Jeremy Hecklinski is in that same fight, and the battle between him and Brown will decide who climbs the list next. Hecklinski has been even more limited, going 2-for-2 for eight yards while also adding six rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Marco Lainez also saw only brief action before leaving the program. In 2023, he appeared in garbage time against Tennessee in the Cheez-It Bowl, going 2-for-7 for four yards and rushing for 51 yards.
Deuce Hogan, a highly touted recruit, spent two years with Iowa before transferring to Kentucky. His Iowa résumé was tiny: one completion on one attempt for two yards, and no real path to the field in a crowded quarterback room.
For Iowa, the decade has been defined by scarcity at quarterback, with Gronowski standing out as the one player who truly changed the conversation. The rest of the list tells the story of a program that has spent too much time searching for answers at the game’s most important position.
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