Iowa Hawkeyes Welcome a New Quarterback via Transfer Portal

The Iowa Hawkeyes' offseason has seen an influx of players join the team via the transfer portal. On top of upgrades to the defensive line, no position has seen more turnover for the Hawkeyes than quarterback, which should come as no surprise to anyone who watched the team with any regularity last season. Once again, the Hawkeyes offense resembles football from a time when Gerald Ford was president.

Yesterday, the Hawkeyes added another quarterback to their room, following the departures of starters Cade McNamara (East Tennessee State) and Brendan Sullivan, who committed to Tulane as I was writing this very article. On one hand, it makes the Hawkeye QB room even more Polish than it already is, which makes this Pulaski very happy! Moreover, the transfer QB they've added appears to have a lot of upside, judging from the commentary.

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Meet Jeremy Hecklinski:

Former Wake Forest Quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski has committed to Iowa, per Hawk Central and multiple other sources. The 6-foot, 185-pound signal caller enters Iowa City with four seasons of eligibility remaining, and hails from Marietta, GA, where he was a 3-star prospect in the 2024 high school recruiting class.

As a high school senior, Hecklinski impressed by racking up over 3,800 passing yards and tossing 50 touchdowns to six interceptions. He was a finalist for the 2023 MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year, per Hawk Central.

What Kind of Quarterback is Jeremy Hecklinski?:

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports had the following assessment of Hecklinski, who he says has a gunslinger attitude in him:

A new-age gunslinger with some moxie. On the smaller side, but can whip the ball around the field and make defenses pay. Shows plenty of command on the field and tends to be at his best when his back is against the wall. Owns a bit of an unconventional release, but gets the ball out quickly and can use a variety of different arm angles to challenge tight coverage windows - per 247Sports

Ivins went on to say that while Hecklinski is more of a pocket passer, he has a mobility component that leads him to "selling" the run-pass option when/if necessary. He does note that his play-style is "volatile," which could hurt him more at the college level than it did at the high school level, with costly turnovers and errant balls.

However, there is another component to Hecklinski that makes him attractive for Iowa City.

Hecklinski Has Familiarity with an Iowa Staff-Member:

During Hecklinski's only season at Wake Forest, he learned under the Demon Deacons offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Warren Ruggiero. In December, Ruggiero was hired as a senior analyst for Iowa, and now works under offensive coordinator Tim Lester. He'll surely be a familiar voice for Hecklinski as he adjusts to a new system/offense.

Where is Iowa's Quarterback Room at Right Now?:

Hecklinski joins a new-look room of signal callers in Iowa. The presumed starter is Mark Gronowski, a transfer from South Dakota (and Naperville, IL native!). However, Gronowski is recovering from shoulder surgery he had in January, and whether that is still ailing him come August remains to be seen.

Also on the Hawkeyes roster is Hank Brown (a Wheaton, IL native!), who transferred from Auburn after two years in the program. Brown has three seasons of college eligibility remaining, and the development of both him and Jeremy Hecklinski proves critical with the sudden, late departure of Brendan Sullivan.

Learn more about Jeremy Hecklinski on 247Sports' website.