Late July always brings the same college football rhythm: training camp is close, optimism is floating around, and the guessing game is about to get louder. For Iowa, though, the biggest question isn’t some minor depth-chart debate. It’s the one that hangs over everything else.
Who is going to be the starting quarterback?
That has been the central issue since Iowa’s bowl game against Vanderbilt ended on the final day of 2025. It carried through spring ball, and it’s not going away when camp opens.
The battle is down to Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown, and that answer matters because it sits at the most important position in sports. The fact that quarterback has not been a strength for Iowa during the 2020s only makes the uncertainty feel heavier.
There’s another layer to this, too: when the decision gets made may matter almost as much as who wins it. Iowa should have the defense.
The Hawkeyes’ run game is also expected to be a monster. But all of that can get undercut if the quarterback situation drags on too long without clarity.
The danger isn’t just on the field. It’s what happens inside the building and around the fan base if the competition keeps stretching out.
The rest of the team needs direction, and the public doesn’t need a slow drip of uncertainty. That said, this is Iowa and this is Kirk Ferentz, so training camp is almost certain to come with the usual coaching-speak about both players competing hard, the battle being close, and each quarterback doing good things.
What Iowa cannot afford is letting this spill into the regular season across the first three non-conference games. The old line about having two quarterbacks meaning you have none is the right way to look at it here. Quarterbacks need reps, rhythm, and time to build chemistry with wide receivers, running backs, and the offensive line.
Dragging this out only makes the picture murkier. If Iowa wants the best shot at success in 2026, it needs to name a starter before Week 1 and move forward with conviction. The leash, though, should stay short.
In Other News...
Iowa Names Are Starting To Stand Out In NBA Summer League
Iowas footprint in NBA Summer League was hard to miss in July, with a cluster of former Hawkeyes and Iowa natives turning up across rosters and events. The group included Hason Ward, Josh Dix, Keshon Gilbert, Brendan Hausen, Payton Sandfort, Bennett Stirtz, Joshua Jefferson, Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, Mitch Mascari and Trey Campbell, and several of them found ways to contribute with points, rebounds and assists while wearing colors from teams such as the Warriors, Thunder and Hawks.
What made the run notable was not just the number of names, but how many of them looked comfortable in the setting. Gilbert had one of the sharper stretches, Sandfort showed he could score in bunches, and Stirtz emerged as one of the more productive Iowa-connected players in Las Vegas. For a program that has long sold itself on development and pro readiness, that kind of summer visibility is the sort of thing that gets noticed well beyond Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa May Have Its Next Tight End Star Sooner Than Expected
DJ Vonnahmes rise has been one of the more encouraging developments for Iowas offense, especially at a position where the Hawkeyes have long expected tight ends to do more than just catch passes. Since last season, Vonnahme has grown noticeably in confidence, blocking and receiving, and coaches and teammates have taken note of the work ethic, route running and football intelligence that helped him become a bigger part of the attack.
He also gave Iowa something it badly needed in the passing game, finishing 2025 with team highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Now the challenge shifts from breakout to follow-up, because Vonnahme knows defenses are going to spend more time trying to take away what he does best, and how he handles that attention could say plenty about just how quickly his ceiling keeps rising. [Read more 🡒]
Trevin Jirak Is Suddenly Back In Iowas Frontcourt Conversation
Trevin Jirak entered Iowas offseason as a big man with a limited freshman rsum and a long runway ahead of him, and the new five-for-five eligibility rule only widened that window. What has changed is the conversation around him. After spending the year mostly on the margins, Jirak has drawn more attention in practice thanks to a noticeable jump in conditioning, skill level and confidence, enough for the coaching staff to start talking about him as more than just depth in the frontcourt.
The appeal is not hard to see for Iowa. Jirak brings a different kind of look inside, and the staff has been willing to test how that fits with the rest of the roster. He has also shown enough versatility to make the staff think about where he can help most, whether that is stretching the floor or handling bigger matchups. For a team always searching for useful pieces in the frontcourt, Jirak has gone from afterthought to someone worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]