“This could be very quietly one of those seasons where you know the smart alecs on the internet start saying things like, ‘Tell your kids about undefeated Iowa,’” Rece Davis said in a College Gameday episode. Kirk Ferentz returns as one of the most tenured head coaches in college football, with a squad that can surprise opponents. And he should, since he’s spending a flashy $7 million on the program’s most important asset. Preseason rankings for the Hawkeyes remain unimpressive, but this one-star player can shake up those standings.

USA Today ranks Iowa in 10th place in the Big 10. The expectation is that they win around 8-9 games again, not much of a gain from last season. But Kirk Ferentz hosts a sleeper QB in his 2025 squad: FCS star Mark Gronowski. The QB will play his last CFB season with the Hawkeyes after leading South Dakota State to an FCS title last year. Four full years of experience call for impending greatness. And that’s why Ferentz is going all in for the QB, paying him a whopping $7 million in NIL. That’s quite a paycheck for a player who’s along for the ride just this once.

Gronowski seems like a promising answer to Iowa’s QB issues, especially after an injury-prone Cade McNamara. “Do you see Iowa sort of sneaking in there now that they’ve got a guy, a productive quarterback who’s, you know, accounted for, you know, around well over 100 touchdowns, I think, in his career?” Davis asked Dan Wetzel in a July 30 episode of College Gameday. The writer was confident that the Iowa QB could bring some serious change, with all things considered. “He’s better than what they had,” Wetzel said.

“Injuries at QB crushed Iowa of late. Offensive coordinators didn’t help. A lot of problems on offense. They’re going to score some points. I think the offensive line is great… Where else do you turn but South Dakota State, our savior over there in Brookings?” the expert added.

Gronowski comes with a whopping total of 10,330 yards and 93 TDs in his 4-year long career with SDSU. That’s the ceiling Iowa is getting this season, in place of Cade McNamara. For three consecutive years, Gronowski was among the top QBs in the FCS. He also won the Walter Payton award in 2023, the Heisman trophy equivalent in the FCS. “I’m very excited about the Iowa season. This is going to be a new era of Iowa.” Wetzel said.

But let’s face it, paying $7 million to a player who will play just one season with the team is an extremely risky decision. Fans also have some fears since Mark Gronowski was limited in practice initially, coming back from a shoulder injury. The QB has achieved a lot of feats at the FCS level, enough for him to be capable of playing an FBS season. The main thing he wants to do is stay healthy. Based on how his recovery has progressed, it looks like the QB is gearing up for another season of greatness.

Mark Gronowski confident about health despite coming back from multiple injuries

The Iowa QB could have had two national titles if not for a brutal knee injury that ended that hope. It also kept him away for a whole year. The blow to the shoulder caused Gronowski to miss spring ball. But he has slowly eased into practice over the summer and has a positive outlook. “I was trying to limit myself, trying not to have that soreness in the shoulder, kind of just like a pitcher coming back from pitching three days ago. You know, like they’re trying to warm back up into it. But now I’m full go,” the QB said.

“I’m throwing every single day, just trying to get ready for fall camp,” he added. Mark Gronowski has just one month to go before the season begins, making this the most pivotal time of his career. Despite being new to a conference as competitive as the Big 10, Gronowski has always featured in QB rankings. He places low on those lists, but for an FCS phenom to feature on these rankings without having played an FBS down is a big thing. It will be hard to compete against established veterans like Drew Allar and other legacy-defining QBs like Bryce Underwood. But Mark Gronowski’s in those conversations nonetheless.

Joel Klatt regarded the QB as a player who “no one talks about.” Given Iowa’s okay finish in the season, nobody’s expecting Iowa to go rah-rah this year. But with Mike Gronowski in the mix, it sure does look like Kirk Ferentz can take the Hawkeyes to a better record this year. It’s costing Iowa 7 million after all, so the HC will hope this gamble plays out according to plan.