Hawkeyes' Quarterback Battles Injury, Aims to Play Saturday

As of October 12th, 2025, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has expressed optimism about senior transfer quarterback Gronowski's chances of playing against the Badgers this Saturday. Ferentz told ESPN that Gronowski has been "hopeful" to suit up, having practiced nearly the entire week leading up to the game.

This news comes as a relief for Iowa fans, who were concerned about Gronowski's ability to recover from a knee injury he sustained during the Hawkeyes' September 27th loss against Indiana. Gronowski went down gingerly on a third-down scramble in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the field, later appearing on the sideline with a brace on his left leg.

Gronowski has been a key catalyst for the Iowa offense this season, throwing for 636 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also rushing for 150 yards and 7 more scores. His progress during the bye week and this past week has apparently exceeded the coaching staff's expectations, leading them to be optimistic about his chances of starting on Saturday night against the Badgers.

If Gronowski is unable to go, the Hawkeyes would turn to either Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski, both of whom are listed as the backup on Iowa's depth chart this week.