Iowa has a new quarterback in the room.
Iowa has added another quarterback to its roster through the transfer portal, as former Wake Forest quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski has declared his commitment to the Hawkeyes.
Hecklinski becomes the fourth new quarterback for Iowa in preparation for the 2025 season, joining Mark Gronowski, Hank Brown, and Jimmy Sullivan, while Jackson Stratton remains the only returning quarterback from the 2024 season.
He will be reuniting with Iowa analyst Warren Ruggiero, who previously recruited him to Wake Forest during his time as the offensive coordinator.
During his time in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Hecklinski was likely slated as the third-string quarterback entering summer, as both players ahead of him—redshirt senior Robby Ashford (South Carolina) and sophomore Deshawn Purdie (Charlotte)—had transferred to Wake Forest with starting experience.
Hecklinski demonstrated his abilities as a multi-year starter at Marietta (Ga.) Walton, a well-respected program in Georgia. He consistently rose to the occasion in important games.
A member of the 2024 recruiting class, Hecklinski was nearly a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was named the 2023 MaxPreps Georgia Player of the Year.
Here are some of Hecklinski’s achievements from high school.
2023: MaxPreps National Player of the Year semifinalist. Carried Walton to a 14-1 record and an appearance in Georgia’s AAAAAAA title game. Threw for 3,835 yards, completing 63.6% of his passes with 50 TD to go against 6 INT.
2022: Georgia Region 5-AAAAAA Player of the Year. Cobb County Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, completed 194 of 305 pass attempts (63.6%) for 3,520 yards with 37 TD and 12 INT. Also carried the ball 50 times for 77 yards and 5 TD. Led Walton to a 10-3 record and the third round of the playoffs after an upset of Buford. In season-opener against Mill Creek, threw for a school-record 425 yards. Also tossed a school-record 98-yard score against Brookwood.
2021: Took over for starter Zak Roszman in the playoffs. Ended up starting a trio of games. Completed 100 of 166 pass attempts (60.6%) for 1,781 yards with 15 TD and 5 INT.
Hecklinski is expected to vie for the second and third-string quarterback positions this offseason and could become an important player for Iowa in the future. This highlights Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s commitment to strengthening the quarterback room and fostering competition.
Here is 247Sports’ scouting report on Hecklinski from his high school days:
“He’s a modern-day gunslinger with a lot of confidence. Although he’s on the smaller side, he can throw the ball effectively across the field and put pressure on defenses. He demonstrates strong command on the field and tends to excel under pressure. His throwing mechanics may be unconventional, but he gets the ball out quickly and can use various arm angles to hit tight coverage windows. While primarily a pocket passer, he can extend plays and execute run-pass options. He had impressive stats as a junior in one of Georgia’s top classifications and continued his success as a senior, throwing for over 250 yards in consecutive weeks against ranked teams. His unpredictable play style may not appeal to everyone, but he possesses the skills to thrive in a high-volume passing system and contribute to winning games on Saturdays.”
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