IOWA CITY — Former Iowa football quarterback Mark Gronowski was named offensive MVP of the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 27.

The stage has officially been set for the Iowa Hawkeyes' 2026 football season.

The Hawkeyes are hiring defensive analyst Chris Polizzi as their new special teams coordinator, according to reports.

Another year of the NCAA transfer portal window has arrived, and the Iowa football program has been active in its departures and additions. The Hawkeyes have lost multiple key players to the portal, but general manager Tyler Barnes and the Iowa coaching staff have done an outstanding job of filling those gaps.

The Hawkeyes ended the 2025 season with a win at the ReliaQuest Bowl and a 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten) record.

Iowa football's overhauled 2026 special teams unit will include a new starting punter. After the departures of Rhys Dakin (transfer portal) and backup Ty Nissen (exhausted eligibility), the Hawkeyes have added a pair of punters ahead of the 2026 season.

As Iowa football continues its recruiting activity, the Hawkeyes extended a scholarship offer to class of 2028 wide receiver prospect Maximus Curry. Curry is a 5-foot-9, 171-pound receiver from Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., and is currently unrated by all three major scouting sites (On3, 247Sports, ESPN).

Detroit’s Jack Campbell named the 2025 Pro Butkus Award winner.