Kids Day at Kinnick Stadium gets underway on Saturday, August 15th at 11am. The open practice will be the first time Hawkeye fans will have an opportunity to see the team in person since spring practice ended four months ago.
We have to remember this is simply an open practice, much like the non-spring game open practice in April. That means everything should be taken with a grain of salt and things will certainly look different on September 5th against Northern Illinois. But at the end of the day, it IS a chance for fans to watch the Hawkeyes in person and get a glimpse at how things are progressing through the early days of fall camp.
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With those caveats out of the way, let’s dive in on what to watch for in Kinnick on Saturday.
The QB Battle
Likely the top thing on most fans’ minds heading into fall camp is who exactly will be taking the reins from Mark Gronowski under center for the Hawkeyes. Year three of Tim Lester’s tenure in Iowa City gets underway shortly and the trajectory through the first two season has been phenomenal in all but one area: passing yardage.
Early reports from camp seem to indicate that former Auburn transfer Hank Brown has a slight edge, but this is a true competition and Kirk Ferentz has indicated the battle may well bleed into the season. It’s unlikely that one open practice makes or breaks this position battle, but it will no doubt be something we are all keying in on.
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Brown feels like the Ferentz pick. He’s got a more prototypical build and he is slightly less mobile, though OC Tim Lester would tell you he’s quicker than you think he is. He is also less prone to turnovers and more risk averse, traits Ferentz has long favored.
Contrast that with the smaller, quicker Hecklinski who is considered more of a gunslinger. That worked well for Iowa with former QB Drew Tate, but runs against the DNA of Ferentz and the program he has built. If Hecklinski can show consistency without turnovers he has a shot to win the job. Saturday won’t be the answer, but it could be a clue.
Receiving Mix
The hype train on UT-Rio Grande Valley transfer wide receiver Tony Diaz has not just left the station, it’s continued to gain steam to be an almost unstoppable force heading into September. He took first team reps back in the spring after being in the program only a few short months and since that time the comments, clips and photos of him have done nothing but stoke the flames that have Iowa fans hot and bothered.
But just how much of the receiving mix will shift to the WR position? A lot of that will depend on the rest of the room beyond Diaz. Reece Vander Zee figures to continue to grow his role as he is * hopefully * healthy for 2026. And Iowa also brought in transfer Evan James from Furman, who is expected to be a starter.
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During Friday’s media availability, Ferentz noted that both Jarriett Buie and KJ Parker have been performing well and are gaining traction. So how do all those pieces fit together? Who gets reps with the ones on Saturday?
And maybe just as important, how much work do the receivers get as a group when Iowa has the tradition as a tight end factory and the newest model is about to come off the assembly line with DJ Vonnahme? We asked the community how they expect things to shake out this fall and nearly half of you are taking Vonnahme to be Iowa’s leading receiver this season. Newcomer Tony Diaz was next closest at 31% of the vote with Reece Vander Zee getting just 15%.
Again, we won’t have anything definitive on Saturday, but something to watch for sure.
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Defensive Line Rotation
While the offense is likely to get a lot of the fan attention, it’s the defense which is sure to look more game ready at this point in camp. Virtually every year one of the takeaways from the open practices is just how far ahead the defense seems relative to the offense. That’s a result of both the incredible job Phil Parker does year in and year out, but also the difficulties in installing a full offense and getting it humming with new personnel.
Speaking of new personnel, there is a LOT of it on the defensive line this year. The Hawkeyes lost Aaron Graves, Max Llewellyn, Ethan Hurkett and Brian Allen – all guys who were starters or played starter minutes. They’ll get back Bryce Hawthorne and add in Brice Stevenson, Kahmari Brown and Lance Ingold from the portal while expecting increased roles from Iose Epenesa and a plethora of others.
The question on Saturday is how that rotation shakes out. There are bodies and Parker is likely to use plenty of them. Recently, the Hawkeyes have gone 4-5 deep at both DT and DE with meaningful rotations to keep guys fresh. Who goes with the 1s and 2s on Saturday will likely tell us a lot about what that rotation may look like in a few short weeks.
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The Specialists
Speaking of turnover, special teams is perhaps the area hardest hit for Iowa this year as they lost not only every key contributing specialist, but also their special teams coordinator as LeVar Woods departed for Michigan State in the offseason.
It seems unlikely, but it will be interesting to note if there are any differences in scheme that can be identified with new coordinator Chris Polizzi. Is there a change in mix of rugby style vs traditional punting? How does the coverage and return game look?
Oh, and who is doing the kicking and returning???
Rhys Dakin took off for East Lansing with Woods with Iowa bringing in Tanner Philpott from D3 Simpson College to compete with freshman Aussie Boston Everitt in the battle at punter. Who does the most winning in front of a live crowd? Does either have the boot of Dakin? And is there any hope of either being a coffin corner specialist?
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Sticking with the kicking game, Eli Ozick transferred in from North Dakota State while the Hawkeyes bring back RS freshman Caden Buhr in the battle for placekicker. It will be interesting to see who has the bigger leg and who is more accurate here.
And finally, in the return game, Kaden Wetjen continued the legacy a punt and kick returner last year. Who is next? It seems like Zach Lutmer is most likely, but unlike Wetjen he is a full time starter. Does he have the same juice and can he keep it while playing defense full time a la Cooper DeJean?
Kids Day Details
Here’s a quick rundown of the details for anyone planning to head to Kinnick on Saturday. The open practice kicks off at 11 am CT.
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Admission is free for all fans with free parking available on hard surface lots and paid parking in all ramps. Gates open at 10 am (fans can enter through gates A, B and H) with players signing autographs for kids beginning around 10:30.
As a quick reminder for those who haven’t been to the stadium in, the stadium is fully cashless. There will be concessions available accepting debit and credit cards only. Kinnick Stadium’s clear bag policy will be enforced.
Go Hawks!
