Iowa football is ‘not done yet’ in transfer portal after 2025 spring practices conclude

IOWA CITY — Iowa football is “not done yet” in the transfer portal, head coach Kirk Ferentz said after the Hawkeyes’ open spring practice on Saturday.

Ferentz referenced in his Saturday press conference hosting “a couple this week we’re waiting to get word on.” One of those visitors, former Austin Peay defensive back Gavin Edwards, announced his commitment to Maryland on Sunday.

“It’s not going to be headline news necessarily, but it’s going to make our team better and our roster better,” Ferentz said of Iowa’s remaining transfer portal activity.

The recruiting outlet On3 currently ranks Iowa’s portal class 14th in the 18-team Big Ten, ahead of only Northwestern, USC, Wisconsin and Purdue. The low ranking is far from a surprise considering Iowa — a program that prides itself on developing high school talent — has been relatively judicious with its use of the portal.

“Our biggest thing has been just to try to supplement the team,” Ferentz said of the portal.

Iowa has added three players during the spring portal window — Ferris State offensive lineman Bryce George, Wake Forest quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski and South Dakota cornerback Shahid Barros. (The window is now closed, but players already in the portal still have plenty of time to commit to their next school.)

Before that, the Hawkeyes added South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski, Auburn quarterback Hank Brown, Chattanooga wide receiver Sam Phillips, Central Michigan defensive tackle Jonah Pace and South Dakota State defensive tackle Bryce Hawthorne ahead of the spring semester.

“The guys that have come in here — the five guys that joined us back in January — are fitting in really well,” Ferentz said. “Think they all have a chance to make some contributions, significant contributions this coming year or beyond.”

The Hawkeyes’ 14 scholarship players to depart via the portal in 2024-25 are the second-fewest in the Big Ten, per On3. They include wide receiver Kaleb Brown, tight end Gavin Hoffman, running back Leshon Williams and quarterbacks Cade McNamara, Marco Lainez and (most recently) Brendan Sullivan.

Ferentz went out of his way on Saturday to praise Sullivan, who has since committed to Tulane, as “everybody here is a fan of his.”

“I can’t say enough about the contributions Brendan made,” Ferentz said. “He is as good as any guy in terms of kind of person and his work ethic and competitiveness — as good as anybody we’ve ever had here. So just wish him all the best. He’s a tremendous young guy.”

Sullivan’s impressive character aside, his college football journey serves as a reminder of how late spring portal shopping can last. He committed to the Hawkeyes last year on May 8, and his former Northwestern teammate Jacob Gill followed him six days later.

So it likely will be another four months or so before finding out whether this year’s still-expanding group of spring portal additions can have a Sullivan or Gill-level impact on the 2025 Hawkeyes.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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