IOWA CITY — Iowa football landed another transfer portal addition over the weekend, this time in South Dakota State defensive line transfer Bryce Hawthorne.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman had 4.5 sacks for the Jackrabbits this past season on his way to being named an FCS second-team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele. Hawthorne, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, could be a foundation piece for the future of Iowa’s defensive line room.
He joins former Central Michigan defensive lineman Jonah Pace and ex-Auburn quarterback Hank Brown as players who have signed with the Hawkeyes this transfer portal cycle. Iowa has started chipping away at its roster needs for the 2025 season but is not done. The are still multiple position groups, including quarterback, that Iowa is looking to bolster.
Here are some names to know as the fast-moving transfer portal roller-coaster continues.
Gronowski would be an absolute home run out of the transfer portal if Iowa could make it happen.
He was a prolific player at the FCS level, throwing for more than 10,300 yards and rushing for more than 1,700 in his college career. His career passing touchdown-to-interception ratio is 93-20. He has also rushed for 37 touchdowns.
Not only was Gronowski a highly productive player, but he also helped lead winning teams. South Dakota State was back-to-back FCS national champions before failing to three-peat this past season.
Gronowski would be as viable a solution to Iowa’s recurring quarterback problems as the Hawkeyes have had the last few seasons. He would give offensive coordinator Tim Lester an experienced, winning, versatile signal caller who would instantly brighten the outlook of Iowa’s 2025 season.
Gronowski is also exploring potentially going the professional route, adding a factor to weigh in his decision.
Much like Hawthorne, Garcia is another young defensive player who has stood out at the FCS level. Garcia was named an FCS third-team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele and is in the transfer portal with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Iowa’s secondary was arguably the weakest position group on a defense that fell short of expectations in 2024. On top of that, the Hawkeyes’ best cornerback, Jermari Harris, who didn’t play the final three games of the season, has exhausted his college eligibility. Missouri’s success through the air in the Music City Bowl was further evidence that the Hawkeyes need to reinforce their rather unproven secondary.
Iowa is not alone in pursuing Garcia. The 6-foot-2 defensive back has attracted numerous power-conference offers, including Wisconsin, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State, along with Iowa and others.
Update: Thompson has committed to Mississippi State.
Thompson had 28 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns this past season. He also has experience as a weapon on special teams with 10 kick returns for 283 yards and one touchdown in 2024.
Iowa’s inexperienced group of receivers showed glimpses of potential in 2024 under first-year position coach Jon Budmayr. Jacob Gill, Reece Vander Zee, Jarriett Buie, Seth Anderson and Dayton Howard are among those from that unit expected to return.
But Iowa could very much use more help to invigorate what has been a very lackluster passing game. Given the circumstances, Thompson, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, would be a quality option.
Jacob Gill’s numbers took a steep increase in 2024, an encouraging sign for the future of the room — and perhaps someone like Thompson if Iowa were able to land him. Gill came to Iowa with just 195 career receiving yards but totaled 411 in one season alone with the Hawkeyes.
Another pass catcher that Iowa has shown interest in, Phillips would give Iowa someone with more college experience than any other wide receiver on the roster.
In his career with the Mocs, Phillips hauled in 153 receptions for 2,088 yards and nine touchdowns. Phillips has recorded more than 600 yards receiving in each of his last three seasons. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Phillips has one season of college eligibility remaining.
Phillips visited Iowa in December, an experience that he told the Register was “great.”
Iowa is in somewhat of a precarious situation regarding the future of its kicking game.
The Hawkeyes have their starter for 2025 with the return of Drew Stevens. Stevens, who was 20-of-23 on field goals and 40-of-40 on extra points in 2024, should enter next season among the top kickers in the Big Ten.
But beyond Stevens, there is some uncertainty. Five-star specialist Scott Starzyk, who was supposed to be the heir to Stevens, decommitted from the Hawkeyes and is taking his talents to Arkansas. On top of that, Iowa walk-on kicker Tripp Woody entered the transfer portal and committed to Syracuse.
The more pressing issue is that Iowa doesn’t currently have a solidified backup to Stevens for 2025, which could make for a disaster if he were to get hurt. But it also means that the Hawkeyes don’t yet have a kicker lined up for when Stevens exhausts his college eligibility.
That leaves special teams coordinator LeVar Woods with some work to do.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
