Latest news with #MarkGronowski
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Drawing Massive Attention Before 2025 Season
Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Drawing Massive Attention Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Iowa Hawkeyes made a big move this offseason to address their need at the quarterback position. While they received a transfer commitment from former Auburn signal caller Hank Brown, the big get for the upcoming season was a transfer commitment from Mark Gronowski. Advertisement Gronowski, who has been the starting quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits over the last four years, decided to take his talents to Iowa to play for head coach Kirk Ferentz. While he had not received much national media attention before this season, he has drawn a lot of eyes since joining the Hawkeyes. Ahead of the upcoming campaign, Gronowski is starting to be talked about as a potential prospect to watch in the 2026 NFL draft. Iowa Hawkeyes new quarterback Mark Gronowski.© Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK Jordan Reid, a draft analyst for ESPN, has noted Gronowski's name as one of the top quarterbacks to watch for the 2026 draft class. "Gronowski had a historic career at South Dakota State, leading the Jackrabbits to two national championships and tying for the most-ever wins (49) for an FCS starting quarterback," Reid wrote. "He flirted with entering the 2025 NFL draft and even got an invite to the combine but decided to go to Iowa, whose offense showed improvement in 2024. The 6-3, 230-pounder is a densely built passer who can also make plays with his legs." Advertisement Throughout his four-year career at South Dakota State, Gronowski has thrown for 7,865 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Not only is Gronowski a threat through the air, he can also make plays with his legs. He has run for 1,091 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. Iowa seems to have landed a quarterback that will take its passing game to the next level. It will be interesting to see if he lives up to the hype. Related: Ranking the Big Ten's College Football Coaches for 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the most likely 'College GameDay' opportunities for Oregon Football in 2025
Ranking the most likely 'College GameDay' opportunities for Oregon Football in 2025 Coming off of a historic season in which they won the Big Ten Championship and entered the College Football Playoffs as the No. 1 team in the nation, the Oregon Ducks bring some high expectations into the 2025 season. Dan Lanning's squad is going to have a lot of opportunities to prove themselves throughout the year, too, with some high-profile games that put them up against some of the best teams in the conference. Over the years, we've seen these high-profile games get the ESPN 'College GameDay' treatment, hosting the flagship show a dozen times over the last few decades. The Ducks are also typically a prominent team to be featured on 'GameDay' when on the road, being featured 19 times outside of Eugene. So, looking at the 2025 schedule, it's fair to think that the Ducks will be one of the 'GameDay' teams at least once, if not a couple of times throughout the year, whether that's in Eugene or on the road. But which weeks should we expect them to get the 'GameDay' treatment? Here are our rankings of the most likely opportunities. No. 5 — Week 11 at Iowa Hawkeyes Date: Saturday, November 8 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 24, Iowa 16 Analysis: Iowa could be a pretty interesting team this year, assuming that South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski proves to be the answer for their offense. We know that Kirk Ferentz is capable of coaching at a high level, but the Hawkeyes' lack of offensive firepower has always been the issue. With this game coming late in the season, there's a chance that both teams are in the running for a spot in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, with a College Football Playoff spot on the line as well. It will also be the first meeting between the two teams since 1994. No. 4 — Week 14 at Washington Huskies Date: Saturday, November 29 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 38, Washington 20 Analysis: This rivalry game is always intriguing, and after a down year for Washington in 2024, they could be back in the mix this season with Demond Williams under center and Jedd Fisch in his second year with the program. This game is lower on the list because I'm not sure how likely it is that the Huskies will be in the CFP or Big Ten Title hunt by the final week of the regular season, but if there are big stakes on the line here, I wouldn't at all be shocked to see the 'GameDay' crew head up the Seattle. No. 3 — Week 7 vs. Indiana Hoosiers Date: Saturday, October 11 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 33, Indiana 24 Analysis: These are two of the most exciting teams in the conference, especially after Indiana's resurgence under Curt Cignetti last season. Assuming that the Hoosiers can keep things going this year with Fernando Mendoza under center, this game could get some major hype in the middle of the year. However, it feels like it could be a bit too early in the year to get the hype needed to get ESPN to town. No. 2 — Week 13 vs. USC Trojans Date: Saturday, November 22 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 35, USC 24 Analysis: Despite being regional rivals on the West Coast, USC and Oregon don't tend to play each other as much as you might expect. Since 2015, the two teams have only played five times, with the Ducks winning four of those games. Still, there is some contention between the two teams and the fanbases, which creates quite a fun rivalry whenever they do meet. If the Trojans can finally get things going under Lincoln Riley this year and contend in the conference, this late-season game could be pretty intriguing, and it wouldn't be a shock to see ESPN highlight two of the top brands on the West Coast. No. 1 — Week 5 at Penn State Nittany Lions Date: Saturday, September 27 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Penn State 31, Oregon 27 Analysis: There's no doubt that Oregon vs. Penn State — a rematch of the Big Ten Championship last year — is the most likely game on this list to get the 'GameDay' treatment. At the moment, both are ranked in the top 10 nationally for the preseason, with some outlets putting both teams in the top five. This game comes early in the season, with both teams likely being undefeated going into it. There will be Big Ten title ramifications, as well as College Football Playoff ramifications as well. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Ducks vs. Nittany Lions doesn't get ESPN to Happy Valley. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Update 2025 record projections for Big Ten football teams, per ESPN FPI
Update 2025 record projections for Big Ten football teams, per ESPN FPI There are a lot of eyes on the Big Ten Conference going into the 2025 college football season, with the Ohio State Buckeyes looking to defend their national championship with the Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Indiana Hoosiers work to repeat as College Football Playoff teams. It will be a fun season in the conference, with a lot of new faces in new places and a handful of intriguing contenders trying to insert themselves into the top tier of teams alongside the Buckeyes, Ducks, Nittany Lions, and Hoosiers. While those teams have much of the attention at the top, there are also some intriguing storylines throughout the conference. Will UCLA be able to take a step forward with Nico Iamaleava Jr. at the helm? Will Mark Gronowski be able to overhaul Iowa's offense? Can Wisconsin get things going at long last this year under Luke Fickell? Will anyone step up and be this year's version of 2024 Indiana? All of those questions will be answered in months. Following the spring season, we took our stab at predicting the win-loss records for every Big Ten team, and with the release of ESPN's Football Power Index earlier this month, we have another set of data points to work with. Let's take a look at how ESPN predicts the season will shake out for the Big Ten teams: No. 18 — Purdue Boilermakers ESPN Record Projection: 3.2-8.8 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 2-10 (0-9 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Ball State, Southern Illinois Projected Losses: USC, Notre Dame, Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, Indiana Despite bringing in Barry Odom as the new head coach, I don't think it will be a very successful year yet again for Purdue. They can pick up a couple of early non-conference wins, but I don't see a quick turnaround coming any time soon. No. 17 — Northwestern Wildcats ESPN Record Projection: 4.1-7.9 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Western Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe, Purdue Projected Losses: Tulane, Oregon, UCLA, Penn State, Nebraska, USC, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois The Wildcats were a nice story a couple of years ago with David Braun as the interim coach, but they regressed back to the mean last season and will probably stay there in 2025 as well. A season-opener against Tulane could prove tough, and the Big Ten schedule doesn't set up very nicely with games against Oregon, Penn State, USC, and Illinois down the stretch. No. 16 — Michigan State Spartans ESPN Record Projection: 5.2-6.8 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 6-6 (3-6 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Western Michigan, Boston College, Youngstown State, UCLA, Iowa, Maryland Projected Losses: USC, Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State In year two under Jonathan Smith, it's not hard to imagine that the Michigan State Spartans take a bit of a step forward. They have the talent to be, at the very least, solid in the Big Ten, assuming that quarterback Aiden Chiles continues to improve and can cut down on his turnover numbers. The schedule sets up pretty favorably as well, with no games against Oregon or Ohio State on the schedule. For more Michigan State news and analysis, check out Spartans Wire! No. 15 — UCLA Bruins ESPN Record Projection: 5.4-6.6 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 4-6 (2-7 Big Ten) Projected Wins: UNLV, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Maryland, Projected Losses: Utah, Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, USC How good will Nico Iamaleava Jr. be in his first year with the Bruins? The real question is how good will the Bruins be outside of Iamaleava to allow for overall team success? I see UCLA winning a few games, but as far as being a name to know in the Big Ten, I think we might need another year. For more UCLA news and analysis, check out UCLA Wire! No. 14 — Wisconsin Badgers ESPN Record Projection: 5.6-6.5 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 4-8 (2-7 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee, Maryland, Minnesota Projected Losses: Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, Illinois If Luke Fickell is going to make his mark at Wisconsin, he needs to do it this year. While the Badgers draw tough games against Ohio State, Oregon, and Illinois, they could compete with the rest of the Big Ten teams on the docket. For more Wisconsin news and analysis, check out Badgers Wire! No. 13 — Rutgers Scarlet Knights ESPN Record Projection: 5.8-6.2 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Ohio, Miami (OH), Norfolk State, Purdue, Rutgers Projected Losses: Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State Rutgers may be able to surprise a few people this year, with Kaliakmanis still under center, but I don't think they will be contending for a conference title any time soon. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Knights draw the big three in the conference, with Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State all on the schedule. No. 12 — Maryland Terrapins ESPN Record Projection: 5.9-6.1 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 4-8 (1-8 Big Ten) Projected Wins: FAU, Northern Illinois, Towson, Rutgers Projected Losses: Wisconsin, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State Will this be the year that a below-average season leads Mike Locksley to the exit? You'd have to think that would be the case after winning just 33 of his last 75 games for the Terrapins. There are a few easy non-conference games on the schedule, but I don't see any reason to believe that Maryland will make a leap in the Big Ten this year. At some point, it's time to cut ties. No. 11 — Iowa Hawkeyes ESPN Record Projection: 6.2-5.8 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 6-6 (4-5 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Albany, UMass, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska Projected Losses: Iowa State, Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, USC, Michigan State Much to the dismay of Hawkeyes fans, I foresee another ho-hum year for Iowa, where they struggle to contend with the top teams in the conference but can manage their way through the middle. Games against Penn State and Oregon will be tough, and an early non-conference clash with Iowa State won't be easy, but outside of that, the Hawkeyes should be able to win a few. For more Iowa news and analysis, check out Hawkeyes Wire! No. 10 — Illinois Fighting Illini ESPN Record Projection: 6.8-5.2 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 10-2 (7-2 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Western Illinois, Western Michigan, Indiana, USC, Purdue, Washington, Rutgers, Maryland, Wisconsin, Northwestern Projected Losses: Duke, Ohio State Many people are pegging Illinois to be this year's version of Indiana in the Big Ten this year, seeing as they return a lot of players, particularly on offense, and have a favorable schedule. Should the Illini get past Duke early in the season, it could be pretty smooth sailing until they face Ohio State at home midway through the year. This could certainly be a team that is hanging around near the top of the standings late in the year. No. 9 — Minnesota Golden Gophers ESPN Record Projection: 6.9-5.2 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 7-5 (4-5 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Buffalo, Northwestern State, Rutgers, Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin Projected Losses: Cal, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Oregon We know that PJ Fleck is a solid coach, and with the right pieces, he can make some noise in the conference. I'm not sure that we see Minnesota taking a big jump this year, considering they are a bit unproven at the QB position, but they can certainly compete with some other middle-of-the-road teams in the Big Ten. No. 8 — Washington Huskies ESPN Record Projection: 7.1-4.9 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 9-3 (6-3 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Colorado State, UC Davis, Washington State, Maryland, Rutgers, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, UCLA Projected Losses: Ohio State, Illinois, Oregon Nobody likes to discredit Washington more than Oregon fans, but even I have to admit that they could be pretty good this year. With Demond Williams under center and Jedd Fisch calling things, the Huskies' schedule is set up pretty favorably. Games against Ohio State, Illinois, and Oregon will all be tough, but they are at home in Seattle for all of them. For more Washington news and analysis, check out Huskies Wire! No. 7 — Indiana Hoosiers ESPN Record Projection: 7.5-4.5 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 9-3 (6-3 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Indiana State, Iowa, Michigan State, UCLA, Maryland, Wisconsin, Purdue Projected Losses: Illinois, Oregon, Penn State Indiana was the story of the Big Ten last year, thanks to some elite coaching from Curt Cignetti and great quarterback play from Kurtis Rourke. They were also beneficiaries of a favorable schedule. Will their success continue in 2025? It will depend on Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, who has the talent necessary to get the Hoosiers back into contention for the Big Ten title. The Hoosiers do have to play both Oregon and Penn State on the road, though, which is tough. No. 6 — Nebraska Cornhuskers ESPN Record Projection: 7.5-4.5 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 9-3 (6-3 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Cincinnati, Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, UCLA Projected Losses: USC, Penn State, Iowa If Dylan Raiola is as good as we were led to believe that he is, then this is when we should start to see it. I think that Nebraska is talented enough to compete at a high level in the Big Ten, and their schedule sets up for it this year, with no Ohio State or Oregon on the docket. Games against USC, Penn State, and Iowa will act as big tests, but this team could surprise some people when all is said and done. For more Nebraska news and analysis, check out Cornhuskers Wire! No. 5 — USC Trojans ESPN Record Projection: 8.3-3.9 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 9-3 (7-2 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, UCLA Projected Losses: Illinois, Notre Dame, Oregon Assuming that Lincoln Riley can get some above-average quarterback play this year, USC could finally get out of the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and make a little bit of noise once November rolls around. They get to miss both Penn State and Ohio State on the schedule, but the yearly non-conference game against Notre Dame and a trip up to Eugene against the Ducks in November will be tough to handle. For more USC news and analysis, check out Trojans Wire! No. 4 — Michigan Wolverines ESPN Record Projection: 8.4-3.7 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten) Projected Wins: New Mexico State, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Maryland Projected Losses: Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, Washington, Ohio State How good is Bryce Underwood going to be as a freshman? The answer to that question likely determines how good the Wolverines can be in 2025. They are talented on both sides of the ball, and if the true freshman QB can get over the learning curve quickly, they can play at the upper-middle tier of the conference. No games against Oregon or Penn State also help the projections. For more Michigan news and analysis, check out Wolverines Wire! No. 3 — Oregon Ducks ESPN Record Projection: 10.0-2.4 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Oregon State, Indiana, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, Washington Projected Losses: Penn State There is one game on the schedule that could be really tough for the Ducks — at Penn State in Happy Valley — but other than that, this is a manageable schedule that could lead to a lot of wins. You don't have Ohio State or Michigan, and you get USC at home. While Oregon will have to head up to Seattle for the rivalry against Washington, they should be able to handle this slate just fine. For more Oregon news and analysis, check out Ducks Wire! No. 2 — Penn State Nittany Lions ESPN Record Projection: 10.2-2.2 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Nevada, Florida International, Villanova, Oregon, UCLA, Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers Projected Losses: Ohio State Penn State is getting a lot of preseason respect, being ranked well inside the top five almost unanimously across the board, and being named the No. 1 team by ESPN. It makes sense, seeing as they return a lot of starters from last year's College Football Playoff team. As always, The question remains whether they can win the big games. Oregon and Ohio State come to Happy Valley in 2025. Can James Franklin get it done? I say he goes 1-1. For more Penn State news and analysis, check out Nittany Lions Wire! No. 1 — Ohio State Buckeyes ESPN Record Projection: 10.4-2.2 Ducks Wire Record Projection: 11-1 (9-0 Big Ten) Projected Wins: Grambling State, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, Michigan Projected Losses: Texas It looks like Ohio State could be up for another impressive run in the Big Ten this year. I currently have them winning all of their conference games, meaning that they beat Penn State in Happy Valley, which will be a big test. The only game I see the Buckeyes losing comes in Week 1 against the Texas Longhorns. They certainly have the talent to win that game, but considering that it will be Julian Sayin's first career start, I went with a loss. For more Ohio State news and analysis, check out Buckeyes Wire! Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa Hawkeyes creeping up in College Football Playoff sleeper team picks
Iowa Hawkeyes creeping up in College Football Playoff sleeper team picks Since its inception in 2014, the College Football Playoff has opened the door for many more teams to have a chance at a national championship. Once you get into the field, fans have learned that anything can happen. With the field now expanded to 12 teams, there is more hope to be spread around among college football fan bases. One team and fan base that has been knocking at the door but not yet entered the College Football Playoff party is the Iowa Hawkeyes. A perennial winning program, Iowa has been on the cusp of making an appearance multiple times, only to fall one game short. With a new quarterback in Mark Gronowski, who many view as a large upgrade for Iowa, and a roster constructed to blow by their projected win totals, could 2025 be the season Iowa kicks down the door and enters the College Football Playoff? On3's college football reporter Ari Wasserman believes that could be the case. He has the Iowa Hawkeyes included among his Big Ten and SEC teams that could make noise in the 2025 College Football Playoff. Iowa When you think about Iowa football, you think about laughably bad offense and great defense. It seems to be the same there every single year. But guess what? Iowa brought in quarterback Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State. If you haven't watched his tape, do it. The Hawkeyes have a chance at a semi-explosive offense with a healthy Gronowski at the helm. It's a borderline lock that the Hawkeyes will have an elite defense. Dare to dream. - Wasserman, On3 With a defense that is always steady under defensive coordinator Phil Parker, Iowa has a puncher's chance with a competent offense that shows a pulse. If they can get life from the offense, they become a very dangerous team that could take down a title contender to punch their own ticket to the postseason. Other Big Ten teams pegged as sleepers by Wasserman include the Illinois Fighting Illini who are ascending rapidly under head coach Bret Bielema who is paired with elite QB Luke Altmyer, the Nebraska Cornhuskers who are looking to continue their growth under head coach Matt Rhule, and the Washington Huskies, a newer team in the Big Ten looking to make a big splash. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football QB Mark Gronowski ranks as one of ESPN's top NFL draft prospects
Iowa football QB Mark Gronowski ranks as one of ESPN's top NFL draft prospects Whether it is fair or not, the 2025 Iowa Hawkeyes football season is beginning to look like it is going to see its success rest on the shoulders of the offense once again. A trend that has become commonplace for Iowa with their stout defense, the offense continues to be the biggest question mark. Iowa improved last year and enters the second year with Tim Lester calling plays, which should only continue to see the offense open up more and gain traction. Leading his offense is proven talent Mark Gronowski, a quarterback transfer from South Dakota State. While Mark Gronowski chose to join the Hawkeyes, he had NFL interest last year and could have taken the leap to go pro with a likely chance to make a roster. Despite snubbing the NFL last year, he still finds himself ranked as one of ESPN's top NFL QB draft prospects in the 2026 draft. Mark Gronowski, Iowa Gronowski had a historic career at South Dakota State, leading the Jackrabbits to two national championships and tying for the most-ever wins (49) for an FCS starting quarterback. He flirted with entering the 2025 NFL draft and even got an invite to the combine but decided to go to Iowa, whose offense showed improvement in 2024. The 6-3, 230-pounder is a densely built passer who can also make plays with his legs. - Jordan Reid, ESPN Gronowski's dual-threat ability makes him unique and intriguing to NFL teams, as his speed, arm talent, and rushing ability, paired with his big frame, is a mix that is not often found. If Tim Lester can unlock the same dual-threat ability that Gronowski displayed for the Jackrabbits, where he won two national championships at the FCS level, the Hawkeyes instantly get an upgrade at the quarterback position with arguably their best talent at the spot in the last half-decade. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
