On Thursday, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked if he and the Hawkeyes will be actively looking at quarterbacks when the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.
As it readies for the ReliaQuest Bowl against No. 14 Vanderbilt, Iowa is also gearing up for the final game with graduate signal-caller Mark Gronowski.
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At present moment, Ferentz said the Hawkeyes like who they have on campus and don’t envision actively seeking a starting quarterback or to improve its quarterback situation via the transfer portal.
“Never say never to any possibilities, but that’s not a primary thought right now. I would just interject, too, I think this has been important for Mark, too, because of some of the time he missed with the injury, so he’s gaining ground every day, so I think that’s a good thing. His attitude has been consistent all the way through it,” Ferentz said.
The transfer portal addition of Gronowski has done wonders for the program, as he has broken Iowa single-season quarterback records for both rushing yards (491) and rushing touchdowns (15) this season.
But, Iowa also added two other transfer quarterbacks last offseason in former Auburn quarterback Hank Brown and former Wake Forest quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski. Iowa just inked four-star quarterback Tradon Bessinger in its 2026 signing class as well.
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“Yeah, we’ve been able to work all the guys actually. I think Jeremy and I think Hank are both making strides and improving. We’re seeing progress out there, so that’s encouraging actually. So far, so good.
“As we sit here right now, the goal is not to have to look outside. We’ll keep an eye on things, but that’s not our intention now as we stand here,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz, Gronowski, and No. 23 Iowa (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) will look to close out the 2025-26 campaign on a strong note as they face Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC) in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl at 11 a.m. CT, in Tampa, Fla., on ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football: Transfer portal QBs ‘not a primary thought’ currently
