Way-too-early top 25 for college football in 2026: 12 - Iowa
The Hawkeyes, shockingly, actually had decent quarterback play for the first time in a long time under Kirk Ferentz, with South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski looking serviceable, if not dynamic, in the black and gold. His numbers were nothing special overall, but compared to Hawkeye signal callers of the past, he looked positively dynamic.
Can that level of offensive production continue in Iowa City? Ferentz will seemingly always have an elite defense at his command, so getting moderate offensive production would be absolutely massive for his team.
That means they'll be relying on Wake Forest transfer Jeremy Hecklinski, who reunites with former WF offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero, or Auburn transfer Hank Brown to man the signal caller position with some level of aplomb. As long as they're serviceable, this could be a team that challenges for a playoff spot in the upcoming season.
Iowa came tantalizingly close to defeating both Oregon and Indiana this past season, but fell just short. Win a big game like that in 2026 and they'll be on the way to the 12-team field before you know it.