3 things to watch for at Iowa football open spring practice

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest storylines going into the 2026 season is who takes over at quarterback.

After Mark Gronowski elevated Iowa's quarterback play last season, the Hawkeyes will look to continue that upward trend. But exactly who takes the reins is still up in the air.

Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are locked in competition for the starting job, and there's no definitive end to the battle in sight.

"There's really not a time frame," said offensive coordinator Tim Lester. "There's part of me thinking, 'Man, it would be great if it was clear by the end of spring,' and it's not even close to clear. It's a good problem to have. It's definitely going to go into camp. It could go into the season. I don't really know. But I like where they're both at."

More: Jeremy Hecklinski brings swagger to Iowa football QB battle | Leistikow

We will get a small window into how both quarterbacks look during Saturday's open practice. More broadly, Iowa's passing game, which includes its receivers, will be in the spotlight. The Hawkeyes have made progress in two seasons under Lester, but the passing game has still left much to be desired.

Hecklinski and Brown are the headliners, but they are not the only quarterbacks on Iowa's roster. Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald are entering their redshirt freshman seasons. Both are worth keeping an eye on when it comes to the longer-term outlook of the quarterbacks room.

"Jimmy Sullivan has really taken strides, too," Lester said. "Watching him and (Fitzgerald) is doing a great job. (Fitzgerald) is on time, on target, really smart football player. Jimmy is extremely talented and the game is slowing down for him. He got here spring last year, so it's his second spring, although he's a true freshman. He's got an unbelievable arm. His feet and his timing are getting better."

The newcomers

Several offseason additions have the chance to make an impact for the Hawkeyes in 2026.

Offensively, that is highlighted by transfers Tony Diaz (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Evan James (Furman) and L.J. Phillips Jr. (South Dakota).

There is hope that Diaz and James can help spark an Iowa wide receiver room that has largely underwhelmed. That duo combined for nearly 1,700 receiving yards last season. Meanwhile, Phillips, who rushed for more than 1,900 yards last season, provides even more firepower to an already loaded running back room.

Unfortunately, Lester raised some doubt about whether Diaz would participate on Saturday due to injury, although he did not seem concerned about it in the long term.

More: Transfer receiver Tony Diaz doing 'really good job' for Iowa football

Iowa has new faces on defense, as well.

Tyler Brown (James Madison) and Anthony Hawkins (Villanova) are intriguing transfers in the secondary. Brown started every game last season for a Dukes team that made the College Football Playoff. Hawkins was an FCS second-team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele. There's also interest to see if returning defensive backs like Jaylen Watson, Rashad Godfrey Jr. and Jacob Wallace look ready to take on larger roles in 2026.

The defensive line is arguably the biggest question mark on defense entering the season, considering that unit lost a boatload of production, including Aaron Graves, Max Llewellyn, Ethan Hurkett, Jonah Pace and Brian Allen. The Hawkeyes were active in bolstering that unit through the transfer portal. They will need some returning players to step up, too, but Kahmari Brown (Elon), Brice Stevenson (Holy Cross) and Emmanuel Olagbaju (North Dakota) are all transfers who could crack the rotation on the defensive line.

Hopefully, we can get an early glimpse of what they bring to the table.

The specialists

Iowa's special teams unit has endured a major overhaul ahead of the 2026 season.

LeVar Woods, who had great success leading that unit, left to be the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for Big Ten foe Michigan State. Iowa also saw the departures of Kaden Wetjen, the program’s all-time leader in combined return touchdowns, and Drew Stevens, the program’s all-time leading in made field goals. On top of that, punter Rhys Dakin followed Woods to Michigan State.

Now under the direction of Chris Polizzi, there is a lot to be answered about unit moving forward.

More: Iowa special teams coordinator job is 'dream come true' for Chris Polizzi

Iowa has a pair of newcomers competing for the punting job. Transfer Tanner Philpott, a Waukee Northwest grad, was an AFCA Division III Coaches’ second-team All-American at Simpson College last season. Meanwhile, Boston Everitt comes from a far different background as a native of Australia, who has never played a game of American football before.

At kicker, Iowa brings back Caden Buhr, who appeared sparingly last season behind Stevens. The Hawkeyes also added someone much more experienced in North Dakota State transfer Eli Ozick, who has converted on 19-of-23 field goals in his college career.

Iowa's special teams are rich in tradition and an integral part of how the Hawkeyes win games. So, they aren't an afterthought at this spring open practice.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 3 things to watch at Iowa football open spring practice