SDSU Transfer Gronowski Tasked with Elevating Iowa Offense

The Iowa Hawkeyes will once again have a solid offensive line, great defense, and a strong running game this season.

The one major change comes at the Quarterback position, where former South Dakota State star and one-time Walter Payton Award winning QB Mark Gronowski has taken over.

Gronowski comes to Iowa City to prove that he belongs in not just the FBS but also in the NFL conversation, and he'll have a good opportunity to do just that.

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Gronowski was featured in a pair of stories this week at SI, documenting his recent physical change as well as the pressure on his shoulders this season.

First, in regard to Gronowski bulking up:

As a matter of fact, Gronowski recently made an appearance at the Manning Passing Academy and was apparently very impressive, with Taylor McHargue of CBS Sports mentioning he liked what he saw from the former FCS Walter Payton Award winner.
Perhaps most notably, McHargue revealed that Gronowski underwent a very positive physical change throughout the offseason.

"Mark Gronowski looked like he put on some good weight and playing at Iowa and that style, I feel like that's going to benefit him," McHargue said.

Gronowski was listed at 6'3 and 230 pounds on his most recent profile with the Jackrabbits and despite the reported changes remains listed at the same as of now at HawkeyeSports.com.

Additionally, SI.com has an article out discussing the pressure (and opportunity) Gronowski faces this year to elevate a program long deprived of quality offense.

Here's the gist of the article:

Gronowski has to elevate Iowa’s offense to a step above average. It was considered a success last year for Iowa to score 27.7 points per game, which ranked 72nd in the nation. Facing Big Ten defenses is never easy, but Gronowski has to be that key piece that takes the offense to another level.
The bar is low, though. Last year, Iowa only threw for 1,711 yards collectively with 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions across three different quarterbacks. Barring total catastrophe or a regression in the entire offensive scheme, Gronowski should shatter those numbers by simply hitting his average production.

Here's more on Gronowski's journey to Iowa and the opportunity ahead:

The Iowa Hawkeyes open the 2025 season with a home contest against FCS Albany on Saturday, August 30th.

Sources: Hawkeyes on SI, On3 on YouTube