Iowa’s offense is walking into Year 3 under Tim Lester with a different kind of confidence - and a lot more pieces to work with.
The Hawkeyes believe the next leap is turning all that progress into more big plays, especially through the air. That’s the part of the attack Lester is still trying to unlock, even after Iowa took noticeable steps forward in the run game, along the offensive line and in overall adaptability.
Wide receiver Tony Diaz said the talent is spread all over the field.
"I think we can be very explosive," wide receiver Tony Diaz said. "I think from our running back room to our tight end room to our wide receiver room - I think all of us can make plays.
Whoever has the ball, just know an explosive play is coming. We can all pitch in."
That kind of belief matters because Iowa’s passing game has a long way to go. The Hawkeyes ranked 127th in passing yards last season, even with Mark Gronowski - the winningest quarterback in college football history - in the mix.
Gronowski did what the offense asked of him, powering through contact and handling third-down and goal-line situations like a fullback. Now, whoever wins the job this year is expected to bring a different kind of consistency.
Diaz said the receivers aren’t making that their problem.
"At the end of day, a receiver's job is to catch the ball. We could have Coach Ferentz throwing the ball.
Our job is to catch the ball, go score, make a man miss," Diaz said. "Same with running backs: Getting the ball, a handoff (from) whoever the quarterback is.
It really doesn't change. The quarterback's going to be the quarterback and we're just going to have to make plays, whoever it is out there."
Hank Brown looks like he’ll get significant snaps against Northern Illinois after a stretch of steady work over the past several months. He’s been praised for his arm strength and his cadence at the line, and while he’s viewed as more cautious with the football, the receivers like how it comes out of his hand.
Brown said the goal is to make the offense dangerous in both phases.
"Coach Lester always emphasizes an explosive offense. We want to be explosive both in the run and pass game, and we have the weapons to do that," Brown said on Tuesday.
"I'm excited to put that on tape. Coach Ferentz always emphasizes the fundamentals and just work on continuing to focus on the fundamentals and explosive plays will come from that."
The quarterback room also includes Hecklinski, whose fall practice showing made him a fan favorite in the public eye. The 5-foot-11 gunslinger went 17-of-25 for 205 yards and five touchdowns, and a lot of the incompletions came when he was simply trying to avoid a sack or a dangerous throw. By the standards of a public practice in the Ferentz era, it was a standout performance.
Hecklinski said the key has been the growing trust between him and the receivers.
"I think it was just an accumulation of building that trust between receiver and quarterback and then also just knowing what's going on at all times," Hecklinski said of his performance. "It makes you feel good when you go out there and perform like that, but you've got to continue to grind every day and keep showing up and work."
Quarterback play remains the biggest swing factor, but Iowa has reasons to feel better about the rest of the offense too. The receivers have taken a step forward, the Hawkeyes can lean on four different running backs, DJ Vonnahme might be the best tight end in the country, and the offensive line should again be a strength.
Vonnahme said the longer this group stays in Lester’s system, the more natural it feels.
"It's great having a bunch of guys that have been in the system for three years with Tim," Vonnahme said. "I think it's really exciting.
I definitely feel like this camp we had a little more of a jump than the previous camps I've been in. I think it's just exciting to see how far we can take this thing."
Running back LJ Phillips sees the same thing in the backfield and beyond.
"I think we're explosive," running back LJ Phillips said. "I think the wide receiver room is tremendous.
We got some guys. I think our backfield is very deep.
I think our offensive line is amazing... running behind those guys. It starts with them.
I think they are the key heart of the team. Coach Barnett has done a great job with those guys."
In Other News...
Trevor Laucks Mindset Should Fire Up Iowa Fans
Trevor Lauck heads into the season with plenty of buzz around him, and for good reason. After earning a starting role last year, the Iowa offensive lineman has already picked up preseason recognition as a First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a spot on the Outland Trophy watch list, which says plenty about how he is viewed heading into the fall. Off the field, he has also linked up with Caseys in an NIL deal, adding another layer to a profile that is growing fast.
For Iowa, what stands out most is the mindset. Lauck is not treating the attention like an endpoint, and the work he has emphasized is the sort Hawkeyes fans tend to appreciate: sharpening fundamentals, staying consistent, and building on what he showed a year ago. If he carries that approach into the season, he could become one of the defining pieces up front for a team that always puts a premium on line play. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces Extra Opener Uncertainty Thanks To NIU's Quarterback Battle
The opener on the calendar already carries the usual first-week uncertainty, and now Iowa has a little more of it on the Northern Illinois side of the equation. The Huskies are still sorting through their quarterback competition, with senior Jalen Macon, junior Taron Dickens and sophomore Brady Davidson all in the mix, which means the Hawkeyes are preparing for more than one possible look when the two teams line up.
Interim coach Rob Harley said the choice will come down to what the quarterbacks show in practice, while also noting the group has handled the battle with a positive attitude. For Iowa, that means the scouting report for week one remains a moving target, with Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski set to start at quarterback on the other sideline and the final shape of Northern Illinois offense still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Offensive Line May Have Found The Boost Fans Needed
Iowa has made a notable tweak up front as it tries to get the offensive line settled for the upcoming season, moving former walk-on Cael Winter into the starting center role while preseason All-American Kade Pieper shifts over to guard. It is the kind of adjustment that can matter a great deal in Iowa City, where line play is often the foundation of everything the offense wants to do.
Kirk Ferentz has pointed to Winters growth, consistency and maturity as reasons for the change, and he said the lineman looks more comfortable working at center. The move gives Iowa a chance to maximize the five-man groups effectiveness, but the real test will come once the season starts and the reshuffled unit has to prove it can turn those practice reps into steady production. [Read more 🡒]