Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski’s recovery is ‘probably a little bit ahead’ of schedule, Kirk Ferentz says

IOWA CITY — Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski’s recovery from surgery is “probably a little bit ahead” of schedule, head coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday in his spring press conference, but the Hawkeyes will “play it conservatively.”

The transfer from South Dakota State is recovering from a procedure for what Iowa described in January as a “common football-related injury.” At the time, the team said he would not begin on-field workouts until June.

“Mark will be throwing lightly here probably in a couple weeks, but not with the team,” Ferentz said Wednesday in his first press conference of 2025. “The biggest thing right now is just make sure nobody runs into him or he doesn’t fall down. Just being cautious with him.”

Gronowski, the 2023 FCS Walter Payton Award recipient, arrived in Iowa City with plenty of college football experience already. He started 55 games at quarterback for South Dakota State and led the Jackrabbits to FCS national titles in 2022 and 2023 under two different head coaches.

“In a perfect world, you want everybody out there practicing,” Ferentz said. “In his case, he’s played a lot of football, and there’s a lot of evidence that he knows how to play. He’s smarter than the whole coaching staff combined. Dean’s list guy and mechanical engineering.”

Ferentz has been especially impressed with Gronowski’s demeanor.

“He has a humbleness to him and a confidence to him that's very genuine,” Ferentz said.

In the meantime, the Hawkeyes’ quarterback room includes Brendan Sullivan, Auburn transfer Hank Brown, walk-on Jackson Stratton and early enrollee Jimmy Sullivan.

Brendan Sullivan, who started in Iowa’s games against Wisconsin, UCLA and Missouri, is the first-team quarterback on the spring depth chart. Brown, who signed with the Hawkeyes in time to participate in pre-bowl practices, is behind him as the second-teamer.

Iowa’s quarterback room, Ferentz believes, is in a “better situation than we’ve had.”

“Hank has been a great addition,” Ferentz said. “Can’t say enough about Brendan Sullivan, going back to June when he showed up last year — his work ethic, just his personality, his leadership traits. It’s a really good group of guys right now. They’re competing well with each other.”

None of the aforementioned alternatives have quite the same level experience that Gronowski has, however.

Brendan Sullivan has appeared in 23 games and started in 11 games in his Northwestern and Iowa careers. Brown and Stratton each have two career starts.

“Then whenever Mark is able to join us back — and really we’re not going to be evaluating or competing until August — then we’ll go through that and just see what happens,” Ferentz said.

Defensive end Brian Allen sidelined after ‘predictable’ surgery

On the other side of the ball, defensive end Brian Allen Jr. had surgery, which will keep him out of spring practices.

“No surgeries are routine, but it’s a predictable surgery that a lot of players have had,” Ferentz said. “So Brian will be with us full speed in June when that program starts.”

Allen recorded three sacks in 11 games as a sophomore in 2024 and was one of the second-team defensive ends on the depth chart for much of the season.

With Allen out of the mix, Iowa’s second-team defensive ends on Wednesday’s pre-spring depth chart are sophomore Kenneth Merrieweather and redshirt freshman Joseph Anderson.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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