Iowa’s quarterback battle still has no clear finish line, and Kirk Ferentz didn’t do much to tighten it up at Big Ten Media Days.
The Hawkeyes are searching for a new starter again, which makes this their third different signal-caller in as many years. Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are the names in the mix, but Ferentz made it plain that the answer isn’t there yet.
“Bottom line is this: right now we don't know the answer. I can only tell you we'll know the answer when we know it.
Hopefully sometime in August that will become apparent. It may be in-season.
Can't rule out any possibilities,” Ferentz said about the quarterback competition.
That last part is the one that really changes the feel of this thing. It’s one thing for Iowa to enter August without a starter. It’s another to leave open the possibility that the battle could stretch into the regular season.
Ferentz didn’t sound discouraged by the two quarterbacks in the race, though. He said, “The bottom line is we don't really know who our starter is at this point, but are really pleased with the guys that are competing and the growth they've shown in the program now a year-plus. That part's good,” Ferentz said of the quarterbacks.
Still, the setup is messy. If the competition drags on once the games start, how does either quarterback get into a real rhythm? How much timing can Hecklinski or Brown build if the other is waiting to jump in on the next series, or the next quarter, or whenever the staff decides?
There’s also the question of what happens when Iowa finally picks one. If the starter isn’t named until Week 2 or Week 3, does that come with a short leash right away? And if so, does that make the quarterback less willing to test defenses downfield?
No one expected Ferentz to hand out the answer at Big Ten Media Days. But there was hope for a little more clarity. Instead, the Hawkeyes are still where they started: waiting to find out who will open the season as Iowa’s quarterback.
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For Hawkeye fans, the loss lands with extra weight because Nelson was not just a big name who passed through the program. He was a true college standout whose success helped shape Iowas basketball history, and his place in the sport was cemented when he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. Even now, his legacy remains the standard for what a Hawkeye can become after leaving Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]
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