Iowa
‘Fell in Love With It’: Gronowski Details Why Iowa Was the Right Fit
Hawkeye fans hope the riddle at quarterback has finally been solved with Mark Gronowski. After all, he’s a two-time FCS national champion with the size and makeup to operate a pro-style offense, and he was highly sought after in the Transfer Portal.
But why would such a quarterback want to come to Iowa? It’s cold, most online discussions about the offense have to be translated from memes, and the program hasn’t sent a capable quarterback to the NFL in quite some time.
Well, Gronowski answered that question on a podcast hosted by former Hawkeye defensive lineman Louie Stec. For the former Jackrabbit, it was about culture and scheme fit.
“I was kind of just more watching just to get a more flavor of Iowa football,” Gronowski said. And I know we played against him a couple of years ago… So, it was good to just get a flavor of like who’s on the team, the guys on the team, and how the offense really flowed and the plays that were called and during different situations. And it was interesting to see a lot of similar concepts that we were running at South Dakota State offensively. And after talking with [Tim] Lester and going on that actual official visit and learning about the offense, yeah, I really kind of fell in love with it.”
Gronowski also revealed that he only visited Iowa during his Transfer Portal recruitment. Other programs, notably Miami and Washington State, were interested but ultimately couldn’t draw his attention from Kirk Ferentz’s program in Iowa City.
“I was supposed to go on another visit to Miami, and I ended up just deciding, like I think Iowa was the best spot for me, just culturally wise,” Gronowski said. “The people that were there, the winning culture, the opportunity with Lester being a former NFL coach and assistant in the Packers offense, and bringing that NFL offense to get me to that next level is huge.
“After talking with everyone else, I just felt like Iowa was the best spot.”
No Money Talk—Just Football: Gronowski’s Approach to Recruitment
Even with the prevalence of NIL money, Gronowski didn’t want to be swayed by cash; instead, he chose the best fit for himself, personally and as a football player.
“Yeah, I mean I didn’t want to talk about money or anything like that when I was getting recruited throughout that entire process,” Gronowski said. “I want to talk football because, I mean, that’s what we’re playing at the end of the day. We’re out there to play football, to build that culture with the guys that are around you.”
While Iowa fans will have to wait a few months to see if he can turn the offense around, they can at least appreciate his mentality and approach in coming to Iowa. At the very least, Gronowski’s words position him to be a cultural cornerstone in the locker room, which, if coupled with solid play, could go a long way in reviving Iowa’s image in the college football landscape.
Iowa
Iowa City Man who ran over people in homeless encampment sentenced to nearly two decades in prison
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man who pleaded guilty to driving into five people at a homeless encampment last August has been sentenced to serve nearly two decades in prison.
On August 15, 2025, Roman Aguilar Ventura drove his vehicle while under the influence through an encampment near Shelter House, an organization that assists homeless people.
Ventura pleaded guilty to several charges in March, including Operating While Under the Influence, two counts of Willful Injury Resulting in Bodily Injury, and three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He also pleaded guilty to Driving While Barred and Driving While License Denied or Revoked.
In addition to his sentence, Ventura will also be subject to a six-year suspension of his drivers license, in addition to substance abuse treatment.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on transition so far to Ames
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on transition so far to Ames and how it compares to the transitional offseason between SDSU and Washington St.
For the second straight year, the Big 12 Conference did not release preseason football rankings for the upcoming season, but that didn’t stop the USA TODAY Sports Network from making its own predicted order of finish for the 2026 season as well as a preseason All-Big 12 team.
Sports writers who cover the Big 12 throughout the network voted on the predicted order of finish for all 16 teams.
Iowa State lost the winningest coach in program history, Matt Campbell, and had a massive roster rebuild after finishing 8-4 last season. With a team loaded with more than 60 newcomers and a coach who is new to the power-conference level in Jimmy Rogers, the Cyclones were tabbed to finish in last place in the USA TODAY Sports’ preseason Big 12 rankings.
Texas Tech, which won its first Big 12 title in school history last season and reached the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, is projected to repeat and finish on top. BYU, which lost to the Red Raiders in the Big 12 championship game last season, is predicted to finish in second place. Utah, Houston and Arizona round out the top five of the USA TODAY Sports Network’s preseason Big 12 prediction.
For the USA TODAY Sports Network preseason All-Big 12 team, the Cyclones didn’t have any players selected, but they did have a few honorable mentions.
Running back Aiden Flora, kicker Kyle Konrardy and defensive end Isaac Terrell were chosen as honorable mentions for the USA TODAY Sports Network preseason All-Big 12 team.
Flora and Konrardy are returning All-Big 12 selections. Flora was an all-conference second-team returner last season, and Konrardy was named All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Terrell is one of the Cyclones’ promising newcomers. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Line Top Performer of the Year and had a team-high seven sacks at Washington State last season.
2026 USA TODAY Sports Network Big 12 football preseason predicted order of finish
- Texas Tech
- BYU
- Utah
- Houston
- Arizona
- TCU
- Kansas State
- Arizona State
- Oklahoma State
- Baylor
- UCF
- Kansas
- Cincinnati
- West Virginia
- Colorado
- Iowa State
2026 USA TODAY Sports Network Preseason All-Big 12 award winners
Offensive Player of the Year: L.J. Martin, RB, BYU
(Also receiving votes: Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona; Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State; Amare Thomas, WR, Houston)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Roberts, LB, Texas Tech
(Also receiving votes: A.J. Holmes, DL, Texas Tech; Brice Pollock, DB, Texas Tech; Austin Romaine, LB, Texas Tech)
Newcomer of the Year: Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
(Also receiving votes: Caleb Hawkins, RB, Oklahoma State; Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia; Adam Trick, DL, Texas Tech)
2026 USA TODAY Sports Network Preseason All-Big 12 football team
Offense:
- QB: Noah Fifita, Arizona
- RB: L.J. Martin, BYU
- RB: Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State
- WR: Amare Thomas, Houston
- WR: Omarion Miller, Arizona State
- WR: Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State
- TE: Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech
- OL: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
- OL: Bruce Mitchell, BYU
- OL: Shadre Hurst, Houston
- OL: John Pastore, Kansas State
- OL: Howard Sampson, Texas Tech
Defense:
- DL: A.J. Holmes, Texas Tech
- DL: Wendell Gregory, Kansas State
- DL: Adam Trick, Texas Tech
- DL: Mateen Ibirogba, Texas Tech
- LB: Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
- LB: Austin Romaine, Texas Tech
- LB: Cade Uluave, BYU
- DB: Brice Pollock, Texas Tech
- DB: Faletau Satuala, BYU
- DB: Jamel Johnson, TCU
- DB: Will James, Houston
Special teams:
- K: Stone Harrington, Texas Tech
- P: Palmer Williams, Baylor
- KR/PR: J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech
Honorable mentions:
- Arizona: DB Jay’vion Cole; LB Taye Brown
- Arizona State: WR Reed Harris, DL CJ Fite
- BYU: QB Bear Bachmeier, DL Keanu Tanuvasa, LB Isaiah Glasker, DB Evan Johnson
- Cincinnati: OL Joe Cotton, OL Taran Tyo, DB MJ Cannon, P Max Fletcher, K Stephen Rusnak
- Colorado: WR Danny Scudero, LB Gideon ESPN Lampron, KR Quentin Gibson
- Houston: OL Drew Terrill
- Iowa State: DL Isaac Terrell, K Kyle Konrady, KR Aiden Flora
- Kansas: DL Leroy Harris III, LB Trey Lathan, KR Dylan Edwards
- Kansas State: TE Garrett Oakley
- Oklahoma State: QB Drew Mestemaker, LB Ethan Wesloski
- TCU: WR Jordan Dwyer, OL Ben Taylor-Whitfield, P John Hoyet Chance
- Texas Tech: RB Cameron Dickey, WR Coy Eakin, WR Malcolm Simmons, OL Sheridan Wilson, DB Brenden Jordan, DL Trey White
- Utah: RB Wayshawn Parker, DB Jackson Bennee, KR Mana Carvalho
- West Virginia: RB Cam Cook, P Bryan Hansen
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — The Julien Dubuque Bridge is closed for the next month for repairs.
More than 18,000 drivers used the U.S. Highway 20 bridge daily, according to Iowa DOT traffic data. The closure forces drivers looking to cross the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois to use the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge.
Mollie Smith, a Dubuque resident, said she used the bridge several times a week to travel to East Dubuque and Galena to shop, spend time at her family’s lake house and visit with friends.
Smith said she has no plans to visit Illinois in July.
“I’m trying to avoid it at all costs,” she said.
The highway detour is rerouting traffic to the Locust Street Connector, leading to rush hour backups extending to Highway 20.
Smith said the closure is also changing how she drives within Dubuque.
“Just to come here to the river walk, I ended up taking Asbury [Road] and kind of went that route through town rather than taking the highway. I just won’t do it,” Smith said.
While the full closure is expected to end in August, eastbound traffic from Dubuque to Illinois will not reopen until the project is finished in September. Depending on the project’s progress, Iowa DOT may enforce additional closures.
Smith said the wait will be worth it.
“We don’t need it collapsing,” she said.
Iowa DOT is offering a free shuttle between Dubuque and East Dubuque during the closure by reservation.
Pickup and drop-off locations are the Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Center and the East Dubuque Public Library. Reservations can be made by calling 563-589-4196.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
-
North Carolina41 seconds agoNorth Carolina Republican operative shaping the state’s early voting plans is reassigned
-
North Dakota4 minutes agoWest Fargo Attorney Chosen for North Dakota Ethics Commission Position
-
Ohio9 minutes agoJeff’s Donuts opens first Ohio location, open 24 hours
-
Oklahoma16 minutes ago5 Things To Know: Oklahoma County inmate death, deadly OKC hit-and-run
-
Oregon19 minutes agoOregon to ask court to delay Paramount deal for 60 days while it reviews records
-
Pennsylvania24 minutes agoPennsylvania state trooper to be laid to rest after being fatally struck in Schuylkill County
-
Rhode Island31 minutes agoMan critically hurt in Providence stabbing
-
South-Carolina34 minutes agoFederal court revives NAACP lawsuit challenging SC education law limiting how schools can teach race
