Iowa Fall Camp Media Day: QB Battle, Defensive Line Depth Headlines Hawkeyes

Iowa held its fall camp media day on Friday, with the open competition between quarterbacks Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski drawing the most attention as the Hawkeyes prepare for the 2026 season.

Brown, who faced adversity during the previous season, said he feels he has shown resiliency and returned as an improved player in 2026, continuing to develop his game heading into camp. Hecklinski, meanwhile, has taken the approach of blocking out the noise surrounding the competition and focusing on putting his best foot forward each day rather than fixating on the battle itself.

Defensive Line in Focus

Defensive line coach Kelvin Bell addressed the media on Friday and acknowledged that several players along the unit lack experience, but expressed confidence that the group will be up to the task this fall. Bell offered his assessment of which players are in the mix for snaps and indicated he is not expecting a deep rotation to see action in games this season.

Among the players competing for time up front is Brice Stevenson, a defensive tackle who transferred in from Holy Cross and is looking to work his way into the rotation. Bryce Hawthorne, who was part of the defensive line rotation a season ago, now enters camp as one of the veterans and is positioned to take on a leadership role for the group.

At safety, the Hawkeyes also have new faces to evaluate. Anthony Hawkins, who transferred from Villanova in January, is competing for a spot in the secondary. He is joined in the unit by Tyler Brown, who transferred from James Madison after appearing in the College Football Playoff last season and is hoping to help Iowa contend for a high postseason finish in 2026. Jaylen Watson, who received a couple of starts a year ago, had a strong offseason and appears positioned to take on a larger role this season.