Ferentz: QB Gronowski to take Iowa to next level

LAS VEGAS -- Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is aware that the offense, which plummeted in 2022 and 2023 before rebounding a bit last season, remains the main narrative about the Hawkeyes program.

But Ferentz is confident the unit will continue to improve, especially after the addition of transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski, who helped South Dakota State to an FCS national title in 2023 and comes to Iowa with 10,330 career passing yards and 94 touchdowns. Gronowski sat out spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery but is fully healthy for preseason camp.

"I know we'll be much improved at quarterback," Ferentz told ESPN on Thursday. "That's not a knock on anybody, but if you just go back and chart the games the last two seasons, three seasons for that matter, we've had bad health there, we've had bad fortune, bad luck and, quite frankly, playing with some guys that weren't ready to play at this level."

Iowa cycled through quarterbacks in 2023 and 2024, including Michigan transfer Cade McNamara, Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan and Deacon Hill, who transferred to Utah Tech in 2024. Since the start of the 2022 season, Iowa ranks 128th nationally in passing yards and 130th in passing touchdowns. The offense fell to last nationally in yards per game in 2023, leading to the announcement that coordinator Brian Ferentz, a son of Kirk Ferentz, would not return. Tim Lester enters his second season as Iowa's offensive coordinator.

Despite Iowa's offensive challenges, the team is 36-18 since the start of the 2021 season.

Gronowski had 3,058 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 68.1% of his passes during South Dakota State's championship season in 2023.

"Granted, it was the FCS level, but winning is winning, and his level, his success as a player, and the kind of human being is, it's been really impressive," Ferentz said. "With transfers, I don't want to say it's a great challenge, but there's a degree of a challenge when you come into a program at his age where we've got the majority of our guys have been there a long time. But he way he handled that, navigated that just seamlessly in a really intelligent way, it was very understated."

Iowa added Auburn transfer Hank Brown, who started two games last season, and Ferentz is encouraged by the depth in the quarterback room.

Ferentz also is encouraged by the development of Iowa's offensive line, which dealt with injuries in 2022 and 2023 but had three All-Big Ten players last season and returns standouts in center Logan Jones and tackle Gennings Dunker.

"The topic has been our offense -- that's been the narrative," Ferentz said. "During my time at Iowa, when we've had good line play and good quarterback play, we have a chance to be successful."