Iowa
COMMIT: Portal Quarterback Hank Brown Chooses Iowa
COMMIT: Portal Quarterback Hank Brown Chooses Iowa
Iowa has landed its first commitment out of the transfer portal in former Auburn quarterback, Hank Brown. He visited Iowa City on Thursday.
After two seasons with the Tigers, Brown has three years of eligibility remaining.
Premium subscribers were aware of the mutual interest between he and Iowa prior to his visit being made public.
Brown started two games and appeared in five for the Tigers while with the program. He completed 34-of-52 passes (65.4%) for 403 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in those five games.
Granted the opportunity to play early this season after college football veteran Payton Thorne struggled, Brown’s potential flashed against Group of 5 New Mexico in September. That was the game where he received the majority of his snaps for the Tigers, and Brown completed 17-of-25 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in the game.
He followed that up with his second start, playing against Arkansas, his first SEC competition. Against the Razorbacks, Brown completed just 7-of-13 passes for 72 yards and three interceptions. He was benched at halftime of the game.
Initially committed to Hugh Freeze and Liberty out of high school, Brown flipped to Auburn once Freeze landed the job with the Tigers.
A three-star passer out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, Brown did not start until his senior year. Prior to playing as a senior, Brown sat behind Cincinnati signee Luther Richesson, who also led the Mustangs to a state championship.
Brown maintained that same standard and led his team to a DII-AA state championship in 2023. In his one year as a starter, he threw for 3,264 yards with 47 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He was coached by NFL vet and now UAB head coach Trent Dilfer when he joined the program for his junior and senior year. Brown is originally from Wheaton, Illinois — the same hometown as Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
With his recruitment starting before his junior campaign, Brown received offers from Power 4 programs Pitt, Minnesota and Illinois before choosing Liberty and then Auburn.
Adding Brown now gives Iowa three scholarship quarterbacks for the spring, as he’ll be on the depth chart with Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan and freshman gunslinger Jimmy Sullivan. So far, the trio is also set to be joined by transfer walk-on Jackson Stratton and freshman walk-on Ryan Fitzgerald.
This will be the first season under Lester that no quarterback on the roster will have ties to previous offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz.
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The One Game That Will Define Iowa’s 2026 Season
When it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 football season, it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State coming to Kinnick Stadium.
No one knows at this stage where the Buckeyes will be come Oct. 3, but Iowa has a chance to make an early impression against a team that is no stranger to winning the big one.
Iowa’s B1G schedule couldn’t get off to a worse start as they head to Michigan and then welcome the Buckeyes to Kinnick.
Hopefully for Iowa’s sake, their first three games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa are enough to get them prepared. If not, things could get ugly.
ESPN Believes Ohio State is Iowa’s Biggest Opponent in 2026
The Michigan game will certainly be a test, but hosting the Buckeyes is a different animal. That gives the Hawkeyes an advantage like no other, and if there was ever a time to give OSU a run for their money, it’s in Iowa City on Oct. 3.
“The Hawkeyes haven’t faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations,” Jake Trotter wrote.
To put things into perspective, Indiana and Oregon were the other two teams that had the Buckeyes listed as their defining game in the 2026 season. Shockingly, Iowa was actually selected against a team, that being Minnesota. Seeing as that’s for the Floyd of Rosedale, it makes complete sense.
Iowa Can’t Let Regular Season Opportunities Go To Waste
Last year was seemingly the Hawkeyes’ first time to actually make the College Football Playoffs. They came up short as their losses to No. 16 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC all added up. Sure, those were by a combined 15 points, but that doesn’t matter, as it’s bad enough that a three-loss team made the playoffs.
Iowa ended with a bang as they took down No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27. Now, all eyes are on either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown. One of those men will have a chance to make their first B1G start at the Big House in Michigan.
It doesn’t get any tougher than that, as Iowa is immediately putting their new QB into deep water. They’ll have three games prior to that to get up to speed, but other than that, it’s go time as OSU awaits after their trip to Michigan.
Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!
Iowa
Kee High School remembers legendary coach Gene Schultz
MANCHESTER, Iowa — The state of Iowa lost a titan of the prep coaching world this week. Former Kee High School baseball coach Gene Schultz died on Monday at the age of 80.
Schultz spent 45 seasons as the baseball coach at Kee, helping turn the program into an Iowa dynasty. He won 9 State championships (not counting 2 fall titles, which the IHSAA doesn’t recognize in the record books), and took the Hawks to 19 State tournaments, which is also the most in Iowa history.
His 1,754 wins are not only the most in Iowa history, but the most of any high school baseball coach in the country.
Iowa
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