Iowa Hawkeyes 2025 Football Preview, Prediction, Betting Insights

Iowa Hawkeyes

2024 Record: 8-5

View From Afar: It feels like one more great Iowa run is in the tank for Kirk Ferentz as he enters year 27. If it's going to happen the Hawkeyes will need to rewrite the script on offense particularly QB play. 2024 saw some interesting results, starting with an early-season loss to Iowa State in the Cyhawk rivalry, a game they never should have lost. Throw in losses to Michigan St and UCLA, both teams that missed a bowl, it's fair to say last year was a disappointment given the schedule. Enter Mark Gronowski to drum up the hopes of the Hawkeye faithful. The 2023 Walter Payton award winner and 2024 finalist (FCS Heisman) comes from South Dakota State. He's a proven winner and performer at that level. Will it translate? Tim Lester enters year two of his offense with a QB he hand-picked, and of course, Phil Parker, the defensive guru, will be hoping to keep Iowa's defense in the conversation as one of the nation's best. This team seems to have boom(by Iowa standards) or bust potential, will the QB who is coming off offseason surgery translate, and sneakily will this defense maintain it's high standards as some key figures have walked out the door in Iowa City. Ultimately, Ferentz likely will be hoping for that one last great run to a conference title game or playoff. He might have the team to do it if it all comes together.

Recruiting: Iowa ranked #11 in the Big 10 rankings for '25, having ranked #9 in '24.

Portal: Iowa ranked #15 in the portal but only brought in 10 players and had 14 leave. Gronowski is the big get, no doubt, but there is also some excitement over WR Phillips from Chattanooga. Defensively, Pace and Hawthorne will look to bolster the D-line but step up in competition (Central Michigan, South Dakota State, respectively). Sullivan and McNamara, the quarterbacks from last year, head out the door.

Key Roster Departures: Kaleb Johnson was Iowa's offense last season, the third round draft pick rushed for over 1500 yards last year. Jay Higgins was first team all-Big 10 and linebacker of the year, so big losses on both sides. Overall 5 Iowa players were drafted to the NFL in '25.

2025 Roster tidbits: C Jones returns after 2nd team all Big 10 honors, as does G Dunker. Stephens also started last year. Overall, with guys like Lauck and Dunker in the wings, the O-line could be pretty nasty this year. Moulton will look to do some of the heavy lifting, replacing Kaleb Johnson. The skill position is in a better spot than in recent years, with the transfer of Phillips and exciting players like Van der Zee and Lee (WR). Defensively, interestingly enough, there might be a few question marks. The line should be salty with Graves leading the way alongside Hawthorne, Pace, and Llewellyn, to name a few. This LB corp will be new, and CBs are in a competition, leaving spring. Sharar(LB) will need to step up to lead. Entringer and Nwankpa are back at safety and will provide much-needed experience. As you'd expect from an Iowa punter, Dakin has a cannon of a leg.

Statistical pulse: According to PFF, Iowa graded 1st in the Big 10 in run blocking and 2nd in Pass blocking. With some nice pieces back, look for nice play up front to continue. Iowa ranked 11th nationally, only giving up 17.8 points per game.

Schedule: Cyhawk will be in Ames this season, and the Hawkeyes will be desperate to avenge that brutal loss from a year ago. Oregon, Penn State, and Indiana come to Iowa City in what will be a really challenging home slate. Trips to USC, Nebraska, and Wisconsin will provide some serious tests on the road. This schedule is serious!

Prediction: Off-season surgery for your new QB, as he is trying to get up to speed, is never what you want to hear. But Tim Lester and co surely knew what they were getting into and have the man they wanted. Iowa has the potential to be very salty on both lines of scrimmage, particularly the offensive line. It's not a stretch to say Gronowski and his ability at the Big 10 level, as well as the health of his arm, is one of the biggest, if not the most significant, x factor in the conference. Iowa's offense took steps forward last year and if Lester can keep that trend up they might have a punchers chance at 9-10 wins. However, that defense must be shored up in the LB/CB rooms with many losses. I see another classic 8-4 Iowa season, but this year they will pick off a big dog at home i.e., Oregon or Penn State.

Actionable: - Iowa +1.5 v Iowa State, If you go back to the Big 12 preview, I think this Cyclone team loses a lot. Ferentz will not want to lose two in a row to Campbell and honestly this team is just better on paper in many key areas. If you're a Parker believer I wouldn't talk you out of a +900 Iowa to make the playoff ticket, but a QB coming off surgery and the brutality of that schedule I just can't quite get there myself.