Mark Gronowski

[CP87]

Social media is blowing up on this.

Might do people’s mental health well to remember that everyone got uber hyped about McNamara and we all know how that turned out. And CM had P4 experience.

Gronowski’s good, but FCS ain’t FBS, folks. He did all the awesome things he’s done against defensive players who weren’t good enough to play P4 football, and every defense he's ever beaten would go 0-fer in the Big Ten by a country mile. That doesn’t make him Carson Wentz.

Gronowski is exactly that type of QB I think we should have been targeting for the past couple of years: uber productive at a lower level, won tons of games, played in midwest weather, can move, from the highlights appears to have done lots of RPO.

That said, it is hard for me to imagine our passing game magically coming to life. It is one of those things that I am going to have to see to believe. I also have concerns for what this addition does to the rest of the room (does Sullivan stay?).

I will respond with some cautious optimism, and this will make me slightly more excited for the spring ball reports. Damn, I wish Iowa would let someone with a marketing brain convince them to let fans/media see what is going on during spring practices.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

I get the hesitation, but I think most fans are excited by the idea this guy could be a good, somewhat above average Big Ten QB. That shouldn't be too big of a leap for a guy who won the Walter Payton award.

Taking a step back, it's hard to ignore the vastly different circumstances, too. McNamara didn't exactly leave Michigan on great terms. He got beat out, hurt his knee, sulked, and disengaged from team functions. And pursued a medical procedure away from the university.

Kirk was desperate to save Brian and making decisions out of character for him. I'm not sure he normally would have approved of the offer to McNamara, especially after chatting with some folks he trusted and meeting McNamara in person. And nobody in Iowa City was even qualified to evaluate him as a quarterback (even he had been healthy and had a great attitude).

Lester, on the other hand, has already proven his QB evaluation talents by finding Stratton off the scrap heap and bringing in Sullivan on short notice. Maybe Hank Brown is good, maybe he isn't...but he started games in the SEC, so that's something. And you know Lester feels loyalty to all three of those guys. And yet he evaluated Gronowski and in his opinion, thinks this guy is better than any of those others.

That's what has me excited. (At least a little bit).

 

[Fryowa]

Damn, I wish Iowa would let someone with a marketing brain convince them to let fans/media see what is going on during spring practices.

Hayden was crazy-level secretive about that and KF learned it from him.

What we need is to crowd fund a really high-end drone and operator to fly 6 inches outside of where it's not allowed and hover during outside practices lol.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I'm not opposed to him coming here, I just know what I've seen on social media hyping him up and how the meltdown went after CM. Like you said they aren't the same thing, I just would rather people not get their hopes up.

I think on the sites with super diehard fans like on HN/Rivals/etc. people know the Hawks and sports in general well enough to temper expectations. It's the casual folks who go on Twitter and melt down about it.

Agreed. As I posted earlier, I don't view this kid as the day 1 starter in Spring Ball. I think it is sort of like Riola at Nebraska. There were some veteran guys in the QB room, and even though Riola was the big swinging dick with all the rankings and NIL deals, Rhule made him go through the process before naming him the starter. That is likely to happen here too.

We don't need him to be a rock star. Just a Stanley type season would be amazing.

 

[Fryowa]

Agreed. As I posted earlier, I don't view this kid as the day 1 starter in Spring Ball. I think it is sort of like Riola at Nebraska. There were some veteran guys in the QB room, and even though Riola was the big swinging dick with all the rankings and NIL deals, Rhule made him go through the process before naming him the starter. That is likely to happen here too.

We don't need him to be a rock star. Just a Stanley type season would be amazing.

What turns me off with this deal is Sullivan's getting the shaft. I really think after seeing him play this year...his attitud, and seeing how the team supported him that he's the answer next year. He opens things up and he's a tough SOB like Ricky/Drew/CJ were. The kind of guy we need where people look at him as the captain of the ship, as opposed to Petras, Stanley, Hill, etc. It's an intangible that you don't know you're goig to get from Gronowski when he's all the sudden in front of 70,000 people and national FOX cameras.

But both of these guys have only one year left to play and I can't think they got Gronowski here without telling him he's going to be the guy. There was money being offered from elsewhere and he's not going to want the potential he might be sitting someplace. He's got his sights on the NFL and having to duke it out with Sullivan isn't the most reliable path to that.

I think we see Sullivan gone before spring ball unfortunately.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

What turns me off with this deal is Sullivan's getting the shaft. I really think after seeing him play this year...his attitud, and seeing how the team supported him that he's the answer next year. He opens things up and he's a tough SOB like Ricky/Drew/CJ were. The kind of guy we need where people look at him as the captain of the ship, as opposed to Petras, Stanley, Hill, etc. It's an intangible that you don't know you're goig to get from Gronowski when he's all the sudden in front of 70,000 people and national FOX cameras.

But both of these guys have only one year left to play and I can't think they got Gronowski here without telling him he's going to be the guy. There was money being offered from elsewhere and he's not going to want the potential he might be sitting someplace. He's got his sights on the NFL and having to duke it out with Sullivan isn't the most reliable path to that.

I think we see Sullivan gone before spring ball unfortunately.

There was already some scuttle on that, maybe even in this thread. Apparently Sully was aware that Iowa was looking into bringing in a veteran QB. They had already looked at other high profile kids. Sully knew that was going to happen and did not bail. I think he will compete and frankly, I don't think KF is dumb enough to name a starter in Spring Ball and drive Sully out. Rather, he gives them both first team reps and says it will be decided in Fall camp. The reality is that I think Gronowski is almost assuredly the opening day starter. But, Sully could get packages and as we have seen this year, injuries happen.

In the end, the question we have all asked repeatedly when it comes to QBs is, where is he going to go where he will have a better opportunity to be the starter? There isn't a credible program in the Power 5 level that would offer Sully the starting job without competition. So, no matter where he goes he will be competing and could lose that competition. He could transfer to Morningside or the like and maybe he starts, but beyond that, he will have to compete with an incumbent or two everywhere. Better to stay at Iowa and try to beat out a kid who does not know the coaches and system as well as you do, and again, he may get some limited snaps even if he loses the job.

 

[haydensly]

What turns me off with this deal is Sullivan's getting the shaft. I really think after seeing him play this year...his attitud, and seeing how the team supported him that he's the answer next year. He opens things up and he's a tough SOB like Ricky/Drew/CJ were. The kind of guy we need where people look at him as the captain of the ship, as opposed to Petras, Stanley, Hill, etc. It's an intangible that you don't know you're goig to get from Gronowski when he's all the sudden in front of 70,000 people and national FOX cameras.

But both of these guys have only one year left to play and I can't think they got Gronowski here without telling him he's going to be the guy. There was money being offered from elsewhere and he's not going to want the potential he might be sitting someplace. He's got his sights on the NFL and having to duke it out with Sullivan isn't the most reliable path to that.

I think we see Sullivan gone before spring ball unfortunately.

I think part of the reason they continued to seek another QB in the portal, even after getting Hank Brown, was that they weren't convinced that Sullivan was going to rise up enough to be as successful as they need next year. He had 4 weeks of practice leading up to the bowl game and Lester was watching closely, I'm sure. And the bowl game didn't really do anything to inspire a lot of confidence.

I love his attitude and toughness. After watching the bowl game I don't think he sees the field well enough as a passer or quick enough to think he can be the guy and that is why Lester continued his search for a better option. JMO.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

What turns me off with this deal is Sullivan's getting the shaft. I really think after seeing him play this year...his attitud, and seeing how the team supported him that he's the answer next year. He opens things up and he's a tough SOB like Ricky/Drew/CJ were. The kind of guy we need where people look at him as the captain of the ship, as opposed to Petras, Stanley, Hill, etc. It's an intangible that you don't know you're goig to get from Gronowski when he's all the sudden in front of 70,000 people and national FOX cameras.

But both of these guys have only one year left to play and I can't think they got Gronowski here without telling him he's going to be the guy. There was money being offered from elsewhere and he's not going to want the potential he might be sitting someplace. He's got his sights on the NFL and having to duke it out with Sullivan isn't the most reliable path to that.

I think we see Sullivan gone before spring ball unfortunately.

And while this deal sucks for a good kid like Sully, I think we have seen his ceiling and its not all that high. Tough kid, good runner, good leader, but below average passer and pocket presence. Most concerning, he plays in a way that makes getting through 12 games unlikely. Iowa would have been foolish not to take this swing and try and upgrade on the most important position on the field and a position Iowa has largely sucked at for 5 years. I like Sully, but if this kid gives Iowa a better chance to win, then so be it. Competition breeds excellence.

 

[dagdaj]

In the end, the question we have all asked repeatedly when it comes to QBs is, where is he going to go where he will have a better opportunity to be the starter? There isn't a credible program in the Power 5 level that would offer Sully the starting job without competition. So, no matter where he goes he will be competing and could lose that competition. He could transfer to Morningside or the like and maybe he starts, but beyond that, he will have to compete with an incumbent or two everywhere. Better to stay at Iowa and try to beat out a kid who does not know the coaches and system as well as you do, and again, he may get some limited snaps even if he loses the job.

You got a point there. The chances of him moving 'up' are non-existent.
That being said, "moving up" might not be the only factor. I mean, it's not like Beck has a lot of opportunity to "move up" from Georgia.

Could be that Morningside (well, you know what I mean....maybe something more like Arizona/Purdue/Rutgers/Boston College no clue on their qb sitches, just going off a random rare elevated performers) might have a sweeter NIL pot than Iowa for someone like Sullivan. If there's decent money to be made playing football for an NFL non-starter....you might as well.

Beck's doing it and he's arguably got a shot at NFL opportunity.

 

[Gibsonian]

Gronowski will be the starter unless he ends up injured. Number 1 he wouldn't come here not knowing this with 1 year left in his college career and number 2 there is no way he doesn't beat all that we have in house out for #1 QB.

The other thing I think many will be surprised of is how much our receivers will prosper and develop with a guy that can put the ball on the money consistently and buy time for these throws. When you run as many routes as our guys do knowing the ball won't be coming to you even if you get open it drives a mentality of futility that is hard to overcome and surely doesn't allow for continuous improvement.

This is best news I've heard in quite awhile for Iowa football program

 

[guffus]

Sullivan seems to like to throw interceptions a little more than the average Iowa QB. It burned Iowa against UCLA and his pick in the bowl game killed momentum when Iowa had the lead on Mizzou. Also his constant running and taking hard tackles gets him.hurt sooner or later.

Other than that, Sullivan is a pretty good QB and was definitely better than Cade.

 

[trj]

Sullivan seems to like to throw interceptions a little more than the average Iowa QB. It burned Iowa against UCLA and his pick in the bowl game killed momentum when Iowa had the lead on Mizzou. Also his constant running and taking hard tackles gets him.hurt sooner or later.

Other than that, Sullivan is a pretty good QB and was definitely better than Cade.

Between Iowa and Northwestern, Sullivan is 3-8 as a starter. That sample size may not be good enough for most, but it is good enough for me.

Given his playing style, he will never be able to stay healthy for a full season.

His decision making isn’t great. Take away his first read, run or pass, and it gets dicey.

Sight unseen, Gronowski is a clear upgrade over Sullivan.

 

[trj]

Gronowski is exactly that type of QB I think we should have been targeting for the past couple of years: uber productive at a lower level, won tons of games, played in midwest weather, can move, from the highlights appears to have done lots of RPO.

That said, it is hard for me to imagine our passing game magically coming to life. It is one of those things that I am going to have to see to believe. I also have concerns for what this addition does to the rest of the room (does Sullivan stay?).

I will respond with some cautious optimism, and this will make me slightly more excited for the spring ball reports. Damn, I wish Iowa would let someone with a marketing brain convince them to let fans/media see what is going on during spring practices.

I am okay with Sully leaving in the Spring.

Gronowski is the starter this year and you have 3 years of eligibility for Hank Brown moving forward. I have no issues with Brown being the #2 in 2025.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

You got a point there. The chances of him moving 'up' are non-existent.
That being said, "moving up" might not be the only factor. I mean, it's not like Beck has a lot of opportunity to "move up" from Georgia.

Could be that Morningside (well, you know what I mean....maybe something more like Arizona/Purdue/Rutgers/Boston College no clue on their qb sitches, just going off a random rare elevated performers) might have a sweeter NIL pot than Iowa for someone like Sullivan. If there's decent money to be made playing football for an NFL non-starter....you might as well.

Beck's doing it and he's arguably got a shot at NFL opportunity.

I know nothing about any of those schools to know what shot he would have, but I am confident it is low. Let's be clear, he can't transfer in now. The portal is closed. So, he would have to show up at Fall camp, learn the offense, and beat out 2-3 incumbents who are all D-1 level Qbs. Pretty tall order.

And Sully is a good QB and has flashed some playmaking, but will not command much NIL money anywhere. Schools with a big pot of NIL money would not settle for his skillset. Schools that might want to give him a shot don't have deep pockets.

Maybe he leaves. I doubt it.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Between Iowa and Northwestern, Sullivan is 3-8 as a starter. That sample size may not be good enough for most, but it is good enough for me.

Given his playing style, he will never be able to stay healthy for a full season.

His decision making isn’t great. Take away his first read, run or pass, and it gets dicey.

Sight unseen, Gronowski is a clear upgrade over Sullivan.

I am somewhere between your position and Fry's. I think Fry thinks too much of him, but I feel like he could still develop a little. NW was a train wreck last year, so I don't put too much stock there. You and I agree on his ability to stay on the field and his decisionmaking.

Sully seems coachable and I think Lester can get the most out of him, but he is pretty close to his ceiling already, IMHO.

Sully's highest and best use is as a change of pace and goal line QB. He has great feet and is just good enough as a passer to keep the D honest. Put some packages and get him on the field. He makes plays. But, I would not feel great if we went into next season and he was who we built the offense around. Gronoski gives me hope for a special season. Sully as the starter? Not so much.

 

[dagdaj]

I know an entire wide receiver corps that had zero catches for -4 yards in a CFP semifinal that might be looking to hit the portal en masse. Just sayin'

 

[Fryowa]

I'd highly recommend people here listening to @RobHowe 's pod with Dochterman from yesterday. It's on YouTube and his website. Really good stuff and both of those guys know more about Iowa sports than than the rest of us combined.

Dochterman says there's zero chance there's going to be a QB competition and Gronowski is the guy, and Sullivan will bounce if he wants to play football (obviously he's not going to play after college).

Rob also brought up the point that Gronowski hasn't played anywhere near the competition/crowds/pressure he'll see at the P4 level. Which we've talked about here and I agree with. I do think Gronowski is the guy whether any of us like it or not. Unless Gronowski gets hurt in camp (and maybe not even then), Sullivan has taken his last snap in an Iowa uniform.

 

[Fryowa]

@RobHowe also brought up keeping Sullivan as a utility player at WR which I thought was pretty good, although probably not likely

Truth be told Sullivan and Gronowski are too similar in style to both exist in Iowa City which was mentioned on the pod as well.

 

[Will C]

Whatever happens at QB we need more protection. If we get it we will win some more games.

 

[Hawkboys]

Hayden was crazy-level secretive about that and KF learned it from him.

What we need is to crowd fund a really high-end drone and operator to fly 6 inches outside of where it's not allowed and hover during outside practices lol.

I get it, Kirk is so cutting edge on both sides of the ball!! There's so much teams and the public could learn from these practices.