Kirk Ferentz optimistic about Iowa’s rebuild after a promising spring

IOWA CITY, Iowa — After having seven former players soar to the next level in last week’s NFL Draft, Iowa’s head coach is focusing on reloading his 2026 roster.

Now that spring ball is in the books, Kirk Ferentz has a taste of what he’ll field in the fall, and believes the Hawkeyes’ rebuilding process is going according to plan. With voids to fill at quarterback, along the offensive line and every level of his defense, the 15 practices did some justice for the players in Ferentz’s eyes.

Despite having a young squad, with minimal experience approaching his 28th season, Ferentz is seeing progress ahead of summer workouts. Although he doesn’t plan on making a decision about a starter at quarterback until fall camp, Ferentz is finding the competition between Hank Brown, and Jeremy Hecklinski encouraging.

“We’re just going back and forth, and it’ll probably be that way I’m guessing through the majority of August,” Ferentz said. “It’s pretty close, so overall I think we’re gaining ground, and there’s something that gives you room for optimism, but it’s always tough to judge too.”

What Ferentz is looking for out of Brown and Hecklinski over the next few months is ball security, execution, and the way they move the rest of the offense. Brown has the arm strength to connect on the deep balls, and he did a few times in the final spring scrimmage, including a touchdown pass to tight end DJ Vonnahme in the corner of the endzone. Hecklinski has accuracy on his throws, but needs better pocket awareness to avoid the pass rush, and a faster release on the ball.

Ferentz has an even tougher task patching up the offensive line. After all, the unit won the Joe Moore Award last season, and had a Rimington Award recipient. Not to mention three of Iowa’s offensive linemen were drafted. Ferentz feels junior Kade Peiper has tremendous upside, with potential to start at center, and anchor the entire unit. Leighton Jones is also showing promise, and will be a nice piece to build around.

It’s no mystery that the Hawkeyes need to improve their aerial attack, after finishing 127th in the FBS in passing offense last season. Iowa was thin at wide receiver throughout the spring due to injuries, but Ferentz watched other players step up, and admired how they made the most out of their opportunities.

“It’s been tough to keep receivers out there on the field for the duration of spring ball,” he said. “The good thing about being younger, and being a little on the develop side, is that you can improve and grow faster, so that’s going to be key for us.”

Wide receivers Reece Vander Zee, KJ Parker and Jackson Naeve have all caught Ferentz’s attention with their work ethic. Vonnahme is starting to crack the surface of his potential, and Ferentz believes he has come a long way since earning a scholarship last spring. Not to mention he’s blocking much better, and remains a safety net that the coaches trust with the ball in his hands.

“He (Vonnahme) is more confident than he was a year ago, and we saw him developing,” the 70-year old coach said. “He’s on a really good path, got a great attitude everyday and works extremely hard in practice.”

Leading returning rusher Kamari Moulton is picking up from where he left off. He’s going to be a key contributor again, and doesn’t mind being a workhorse, or part of a running-back-by-committee approach. What’s important to Ferentz is that everyone is taking quality reps.

The Hawkeyes have an even bigger rebuild on defense, after losing four starters up front on the line, their top-three tacklers and a lot of experience in the secondary. Despite the loss of tackling production, Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker is a wizard at retooling his unit, and getting everyone up to speed.

Ferentz is prioritizing leadership and growth from his defenders, which means earning respect and holding others accountable. Senior linebacker Jayden Montgomery showed he can be an enforcer, and racked up 44 tackles last year. With his experience, Montgomery will have to take on an even  bigger role this fall.

Veteran defensive back Deshaun Lee continues to show the coaching staff that he can be a leader. He’s a dangerous ballhawk too, who can hold his own against the best of them. Zac Lutmer also returns to the secondary after tallying 71 stops and three interceptions in 2025.

Ferentz has some concerns regarding special teams approaching the summer. The unit is under the new direction of Chris Polizzi, and needs to get ahead of schedule. The kicking game impressed Ferentz in the final scrimmage, after Eli Ozick nailed a couple of long field goals, and displayed some leg power. The punting department needs work though, considering the Hawkeyes pride themselves on field position.

At the end of the day, everything is still a work in progress to Ferentz, but he’s confident the Hawkeyes are taking the appropriate steps to make an impact on the gridiron.

“We just have to realize that we have to maximize every opportunity, so we’ll see what it looks like at the end of August.”