Iowa Football: Highlights from spring practice flood social media
TL;DR
The Iowa Hawkeyes held their first spring practice in front of fans at Kinnick Stadium, showcasing a quarterback competition between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown. The practice featured multiple explosive plays and provided insights into the upcoming 2026 season.
Key points
- Iowa Hawkeyes held spring practice at Kinnick Stadium
- Quarterback competition between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown
- Multiple explosive plays showcased during practice
- 2026 season opener against Northern Illinois on September 5
Today was the first time the Iowa Hawkeyes were in action in front of fans as they opened the doors to Kinnick Stadium for their spring practice. The day saw the quarterback competition between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, only furthering the conversation as the two split first-team reps. In typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes rotated a lot of guys, saw multiple players work in at the skill positions, and, as Kirk Ferentz has always done, refused to give away much on film. Still, the day provided a glimpse at what the 2026 season could look like in Iowa City, with some strong rumblings bubbling from Kinnick Stadium, with a few explosive plays from the offense gaining some traction. Iowa's first action of the 2026 season comes on Saturday, September 5, when they welcome the Northern Illinois Huskies to Kinnick Stadium. As the Hawkeyes wrap up spring ball, head into summer, and get ready for that season-opening matchup, which will be here rapidly, check out the biggest news and some of the best highlight clips from the Iowa spring practice.
Head Hawk Kirk Ferentz has arrived! pic.twitter.com/zXLBr1i2HR
— Collin Carrithers (@c\_carrithers33) April 25, 2026 Today's starting OL for Iowa in the spring scrimmage: Lauck, Jones, Winter, Pieper, Dotzler (Myslinski out).
A ton of WRs out today (Buie, Diaz, James, Smith) and two DTs (Stevenson, Hawthorne).
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) April 25, 2026 Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown are in the building pic.twitter.com/qLDePlB3Ga
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Iowa freshman guard, Tate Sage is here at the Hawkeyes open spring football all practice. pic.twitter.com/IcGIk8SsEk
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Jaylen Watson, Tony Diaz, Evan James, Bryce Hawthorne and Brice Stevenson among those not participating today.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) April 25, 2026 Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown completing some warmup throws. pic.twitter.com/jPQypxH5KY
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Reece Vander Zee and DJ Vonnahme already making some plays in the pass game. Reece looks so much more confident this spring.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) April 25, 2026 Touchdown pass from Hank Brown to DJ Vonnahme. Incredible effort by Iowa’s star TE with the toe tap for the score. pic.twitter.com/bueOUtNzRY
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Hank Brown isn’t afraid to let it fly today and he has been giving his receivers a chance. Impressed with his placement early
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) April 25, 2026 Spring game Wave pic.twitter.com/lq1E2Zn9UI
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Couple punts. First from freshman Aussie, Boston Everitt. Second from Simpson transfer, Tanner Philpott. pic.twitter.com/bky8pW4tIE
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Another TD pass, this one from Jeremy Hecklinski to Dayton Howard. pic.twitter.com/4rAKAWyxYp
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 KJ Parker showing off the ball skill with this catch over the middle. Grabbed it with two DBs all over him. pic.twitter.com/y8ONsCTL5s
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Another tough catch for KJ Parker. Hecklinski recognizes one-on-one coverage and finds him deep for a 20ish yard gain. pic.twitter.com/N99oT4tn1n
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Joseph Anderson pick-six pic.twitter.com/WFi7iETxPS
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 25, 2026 Even at the spring practice we wave to the kids. pic.twitter.com/DnrtzT8XBh
— HawkeyeReport.com (@HawkeyeReport) April 25, 2026 They just showed Kaden Wetjen being drafted on the video board at Kinnick Stadium. pic.twitter.com/DV5MfaJBXL
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler\_T15) April 25, 2026 Iowa defensive line getting warmed up for the spring practice. pic.twitter.com/kg1TQc7YLN
— Jackson Miller (@JMill42348) April 25, 2026 Deep ball from Jeremy Hecklinski pic.twitter.com/tjESEPHLRz
— Jackson Miller (@JMill42348) April 25, 2026 Ozick from 50. Good. pic.twitter.com/3wFKueL6Bq
— Jackson Miller (@JMill42348) April 25, 2026 Safety Hawkins (#5) is a physically imposing dude pic.twitter.com/ASLziTjX2Q
— JeffreyTheGreek (@JeffreyTheGreek) April 25, 2026 **Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: *@rileydonald7*** *This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Iowa Football: Highlights from spring practice flood social media*
Q&A
What happened during Iowa Hawkeyes' spring practice?
Iowa's spring practice featured a quarterback competition between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, along with multiple explosive plays from the offense.
Who are the key players competing for the quarterback position at Iowa?
The key players competing for the quarterback position at Iowa are Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown, who split first-team reps during practice.
When does Iowa's 2026 football season start?
Iowa's 2026 football season starts on Saturday, September 5, when they host the Northern Illinois Huskies at Kinnick Stadium.
What highlights emerged from the Iowa spring practice?
Highlights from the Iowa spring practice included impressive touchdown passes, strong performances from skill position players, and a focus on the quarterback competition.
