Mark Gronowski (Photo via Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Mark Gronowski was supposed to turn everything around in Iowa.

The former South Dakota State signal-caller wished he could redo the first open scrimmage of the year.

The quarterback carousel has spun in Iowa City for the last several years, and Hawkeye fans have experienced a bumpy ride.

They finally saw hope when senior Mark Gronowski finally gave fans something to cheer for, or so they thought.

Let’s start out with the good parts.

A video from practice on August 6 painted Mark Gronowski in a good light. It showed him escaping the pocket to his right and delivering a nice throw on the run.

That short clip has been viewed almost a million times just on X, formerly Twitter. Hawkeye fans went crazy over it in the comment section.

That was the good part of Mark Gronowski’s game.

Now we have to dive into what went wrong.

Three days later, on August 9, the Hawkeyes’ QB showed signs of someone who certainly needed more practice. At his first full-speed open scrimmage, Gronowski showed him fumbling quite a few snaps and throwing a pick-six to Koen Entringer.

Gronowski, the former South Dakota State quarterback who transferred to the Iowa Hawkeyes, reportedly signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal worth at least $1 million.

Iowa football fans are expecting greatness, not mediocrity.

What Mark Gronowski Did During Final Open Practice

Aug 9, 2025; Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) runs a drill during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register
Iowa football hosted its annual Kids’ Day at Kinnick over the weekend in what was the final open practice before the Hawkeyes kick off their 2025 season.

It was an up-and-down day for quarterback Mark Gronowski during the scrimmage.

The Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow charted Gronowski as 10-for-20 passing for 134 yards with an interception.