Iowa football DB raves about QB Jeremy Hecklinski and his confidence

If Mark Gronowski did one thing for the Iowa Hawkeyes and their quarterback room above all else, it was instill an overwhelming sense of confidence in the others in that room. Gronowski played with extreme confidence last year, and it was part of the reason for his success during his lone season at Iowa.

Entering the 2026-27 college football season, Iowa is once again turning the offensive keys over to another quarterback. This time it looks to be between Jeremy Hecklinski, who seems to have a slight inside track, reading between the lines, and Hank Brown.

With spring ball underway, Iowa's defenders have had the chance to see Hecklinski in action, and defensive back Jaylen Watson gave Hecklinski great applause for the confidence he is displaying in commanding the offense and testing them with downfield throws.

"Confidence. He's a gunslinger, like they call him. He's very confident. He's willing to take risks, and it helps us each and every day because we know you've got to be focused because he's going to want to take the deep shots. He's going to want to take the shots that make the crowd go 'oooh oooh.' So you know you've got to be on your A game going against him," Watson told the Iowa media.

Iowa DB Jaylen Watson on what he's seen from Jeremy Hecklinski: "Confidence. He's a gunslinger, like they call him. He's very confident. He's willing to take risks and it helps us each and every day because we know you've got to be focused because he's going to want to take the…

— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) March 31, 2026

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Jeremy Hecklinski is not the towering presence that Mark Gronowski was for Iowa last year, but he may have more swagger and moxie than Iowa has had at the quarterback position in some time.

The rumblings from spring ball continue to be about Hecklinski's ability to extend plays and turn negatives into positives, something that is huge for an Iowa offense that is predicated on staying ahead of the chains.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Iowa football DB raves about QB Jeremy Hecklinski and his confidence