The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2024 season ended a week ago with an up-and-down loss to 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl. However, the end of the season signals the start of the offseason, which brings with it frenzied conjecture about recruiting, transfers, and coaching changes. A year ago, that included a search for a new offensive coordinator as well as needs in several areas. This year, Iowa’s staff remains intact, but the Hawkeyes are still looking for a couple important positions in the portal.
The first has been the defensive line, which includes Iowa graduates Yahya Black and Deontae Craig. The Hawkeyes have begun stocking the cupboards for Kelvin Bell and Phil Parker, acquiring Central Michigan DT Jonah Pace, a senior. Over the weekend, they added to their roster with a pledge from South Dakota State redshirt freshman Bryce Hawthorne. Hawthorne was remarkable not only because he joins a position group in need with many years of eligibility remaining, but also because he traveled to Iowa City with another SDSU transfer candidate Mark Gronowski.
Gronowski, a 6’3″, 225-pound senior quarterback from Naperville, Illinois, is likely the best quarterback available in the transfer portal following the initial wave in December. His delay in entering the gateway was due to SDSU’s FCS playoff run, which finished little over two weeks ago in the semifinals. After the season, he had to decide whether to enter the NFL draft or try to raise his stock by pushing his game to a new level at home. On Tuesday, Gronowski revealed that he will transfer to Iowa to play his last collegiate season as a Hawkeye.
Iowa and offensive coordinator Tim Lester are experiencing a full circle moment with Gronowski. Both Iowa and Western Michigan, where Lester was the head coach at the time, recruited him as a prep, and Gronowski visited both institutions. Gronowski threw for 1,663 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Nequa Valley High School in Naperville, completing 68% of his throws with only one interception. Rivals labeled him as a pro-style quarterback, but he certainly used his legs, rushing for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Despite their accomplishment, neither Ferentz and the Hawkeyes nor Lester and the Mustangs extended an offer. Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes instead offered and accepted a pledge from then-four-star Texas quarterback Deuce Hogan. Western Michigan ended up accepting 3-star Pennsylvania native Jack Sapolek, who now attends Elon. Gronowski, of course, ended up attending South Dakota State. Gronowski rapidly established himself as a key player for the Jackrabbits. With the 2020 season postponed until the spring, he went into the starting lineup in a condensed spring season, throwing for 1,584 yards and 15 touchdowns with 3 interceptions while completing 58% of his passes over six games. As a true freshman, he rushed for 577 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 carries.
However, six plays into the FCS National Championship Game, Gronowski tore his ACL and MCL. Due to the postponed season, Gronowski would miss the full of his second year in the fall of 2021. SDSU, as a result, turned to the transfer portal to find a quarterback. The time on the sidelines could have been a gift in disguise. Gronowski told The Athletic how he evolved as a quarterback without seeing the field.
“It improved my ability to see what defenders are doing and devise pre-snap strategies. I feel as if I know the outcome nearly before it occurs, which is a huge advantage for me. Things don’t always go as planned, but being able to make rapid decisions on the field has made a significant difference for me since freshman year.”
Gronowski returned as a redshirt sophomore in 2022 and immediately resumed his starting role. Things got off to a poor start in his first game back from injury, as the Jackrabbits lost 7-3 on the road to… Iowa. In his worst game as a starter, Gronowski went 10 for 26 passing for 87 yards and no touchdowns against Iowa’s excellent defense. He carried 10 times for -21 yards and took four sacks.
It was all up from there. Gronowski concluded his sophomore season with 2,967 throwing yards and 26 touchdowns on 65% passing with only 5 interceptions, while also gaining 408 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. South Dakota State would not lose another game the rest of the season, capturing their first of two consecutive FCS National Championships. In 2024, the storybook ending did not exist, as North Dakota State stopped SDSU’s streak in the semifinals. Gronowski finished the season with 2,721 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. On 98 carries, he gained 380 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Gronowski concluded his four seasons at the FCS level with 10,331 career throwing yards, 93 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions, completing 63.5% of his throws. He had 1,767 running yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground. On3 has provided a breakdown of his career numbers, which appear below. Gronowski will be the Hawkeyes’ statistically most accomplished quarterback since Chuck Long. Each of his final three seasons would have been the best Iowa has seen since Nate Stanley.
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