Iowa QB Mark Gronowski to Miss Spring After Surgery

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa football’s newly acquired quarterback Mark Gronowski will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and is expected to miss spring practices, head coach Kirk Ferentz announced Friday. The South Dakota State transfer, who signed with the Hawkeyes earlier this week, will not participate in on-field team workouts until June as he recovers from a football-related injury.

“Mark played last season with a common football-related injury,” Ferentz said in a statement. “While he could have continued to play through the injury, Mark is choosing to have a procedure to address the issue, and we support him in his decision. Our sports medicine team thoroughly reviewed his records and has confidence he will be fully rehabbed in time to participate in our summer program.”

Gronowski, a Naperville, Illinois native, is entering his final year of college eligibility. He joins Iowa after a standout career at South Dakota State, where he led the Jackrabbits to two FCS national championships and earned the 2023 Walter Payton Award as the FCS National Player of the Year. Over four seasons, Gronowski completed 755-of-1,188 passes for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns, with just 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns.

The news of Gronowski’s surgery has sparked concern among Iowa fans, as it mirrors the situation of former transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, who missed spring practices in 2023 due to injury and later suffered a torn ACL during the season. However, Ferentz expressed confidence in Gronowski’s recovery timeline, stating that the quarterback will participate in all non-practice team activities during his rehabilitation.

Gronowski’s addition to the Hawkeyes’ roster is seen as a significant boost for the team, which is looking to build on a 12-4 record in 2024. The quarterback room also includes Brendan Sullivan, Auburn transfer Hank Brown, Jackson Stratton, and freshmen Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald.