On3 high on Iowa football in Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for 2026

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With the calendar saying 2026 and the College Football Playoff wrapped up, it is full steam ahead to the 2026 college football season, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are eager to continue the streak of success they have had as a program.

The 2025 Hawkeyes had the usual stout and stingy defense, holding opponents to minimal success on offense, but their own offense this year was more of the story. Quarterback Mark Gronowski, who has since departed Iowa due to exhausting all of his eligiblity, transformed the narrative around Iowa’s offense into one that can score and move the ball well.

The challenge for Iowa in 2026 is rooted in the offensive side of the ball. Iowa is replacing Gronowski, has to replenish the offensive line, and find skill position success from transfer portal adds. Despite those question marks, On3 is high on Iowa in their way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2026.

Like the USA TODAY way-too-early top 25, On3 has Iowa sitting at No. 21 entering 2026.

21. Iowa

The Hawkeyes were better all season last year than they got credit for, and the Big Ten schedule on paper looks easier than last year. We can always assume excellent defense and special teams from the Hawkeyes. The question is how functional they’ll be on offense. Once coordinator Tim Lester got comfortable with Mark Gronowski’s dual threat capabilities last year, the Hawkeyes became far more dangerous. Lester raved during bowl prep about Wake Forest transfer Jeremy Hecklinski, who spent last season backing up Gronowski. – Andy Staples, On3

Unsurprisingly, the Big Ten is littering the early rankings. At No. 1 are the Ohio State Buckeyes, followed by the Indiana Hoosiers, who round out the top 5. At No. 6 sits the Oregon Ducks, while Michigan, at No. 11, is the next Big Ten team in the rankings.

Amid the changes in Happy Valley, Penn State comes in at No. 14 with former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell now at the helm, while Washington and USC sit just ahead of Iowa at No. 18 and No. 19, respectively.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: On3 high on Iowa football in Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for 2026

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