HawkCast

Offensive Innovator? Iowa Hires Former Wake Forest OC Warren Ruggiero

Eliot and Ross breakdown the Hawkeyes hiring of Warren Ruggiero as their senior offensive analyst, and what he brings from Wake Forest. Plus, NFL Combine stock risers from Iowa and women's Big Ten Tournament preview.
Kirk Ferentz and Tim Lester actively doing something about the passing game, where Ruggiero can have the most impact for the Iowa offense, the timing of the move, Luke Lachey and Connor Colby help themselves out at the NFL Combine, don't think too hard about Jay Higgins, Iowa to play Wisconsin in the first round of the BTT, playing Michigan State after that, and hoping for a shot at Ohio State.
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Iowa Hires Ruggiero: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-hires-new-offensive-senior-analyst-warren-ruggiero
Three Thoughts on Hiring Ruggiero: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-iowa-hiring-warren-ruggiero
Combine Results: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/2025-nfl-combine-iowa-results

Ladell Betts is Moving On: Implications of Losing Iowa's Running Backs Coach

Eliot and Ross breakdown their thoughts on Ladell Betts' decision to move on to the running backs coach position with the New York Giants after four years with the Hawkeyes.
Why the timing of the move is difficult for Iowa but good for Betts, how it impacts recruiting of running backs and the state of Florida, impact on the running back room including Jaz Patterson, Kamari Moulton, TJ Washington and the freshmen, plus details on the women's basketball squad's standing in the Big Ten ahead of the conference tournament.
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Three Potential Candidates for Iowa's Next RBs Coach: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-potential-candidates-for-iowa-s-next-running-backs-coach
Three Thoughts on Ladell Betts' Decision to Move on From Iowa: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-ladell-betts-decision-to-move-on-from-iowa
Betts Hired as New York Giants Running Backs Coach: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/reports-ladell-betts-hired-as-new-york-giants-running-backs-coach

HOOPS: Iowa Women COMPETE with Ohio State, Will the Men make the B1G Tourney?

Eliot and Ross breakdown the Hawkeyes near win over No. 8 Ohio State on the road, plus share thoughts on Iowa MBB's 80-78 loss to Oregon at home.
Lucy Olsen comfortable in her role, Were her struggles just mental?, needing a third scorer, the freshmen, facing No. 3 UCLA at home on Sunday, the men just keep losing, What can be changed?, don't forget about Josh Dix and Payton Sandfort's efforts and more.
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No. 8 Ohio State 86, Iowa 78 (OT): https://iowa.rivals.com/news/no-8-ohio-state-86-iowa-78-ot-upset-denied
Oregon 80, Iowa 78: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/oregon-80-iowa-78-ducked

COOPER BOWL: Pick-Six for former Hawkeyes DB and Iowa Native

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Eliot, Adam and Ross on #Iowa and OABCIG product, Cooper DeJean's 38-yard pick six against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, plus breaking down the #Hawkeyes win over Nebraska in WBB.
The pride of the OABCIG school district, remembering how Cooper made so many similar plays at Iowa and in high school, breaking down the win in Lincoln and how Jan Jensen's squad has turned things around, Lucy Olsen on FIRE, why college basketball needs to do about officiating, plus more.
OABCIG to Super Bowl TD: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/oabcig-to-super-bowl-td-dejean-integral-to-eagles-championship
Jaxx DeJean Scouting Notes, Potential Fit: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/jaxx-dejean-scouting-notes-potential-fit-at-iowa
Iowa 81, Nebraska 66: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-81-nebraska-66-how-was-the-play-lincoln-
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Iowa Men Get BOILED without Owen Freeman, Bo Bassett COMMITS, WBB UPSETS No. 4 USC

Eliot and Ross breakdown #Iowa MBB's loss to Purdue, missing Owen Freeman the rest of the year, Bo Bassett's commitment to the #Hawkeyes, Cooper DeJean playing in the Super Bowl this weekend, and Adam joins to share thoughts on Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement as well as Iowa WBB's upset win over No. 4 USC.
Josh Dix and Payton Sandfort come out on a mission, Purdue is just too damn good, remaining schedule for the men, where Bo Bassett is expected to wrestle for the Hawkeyes, how Bassett's recruitment came together for Iowa, Eliot's hometown pride for DeJean, how Cooper has impacted the way the #Eagles have played this year, Lucy Olsen rises to the occasion, shout out to Addison O'Grady, JuJu Watkins isn't quite in the same sphere as Caitlin yet, + more.
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No. 7 Purdue 90, Iowa 81: Boiled: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/no-7-purdue-90-iowa-81-boiled
Looking to Bench to Replace Freeman: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-basketball-looks-to-bench-to-replace-owen-freeman
Three Questions For Iowa with Owen Freeman Out: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-questions-for-iowa-with-freeman-out-the-rest-of-the-season
Bo Bassett Picks Iowa: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-top-wrestling-recruit-bo-bassett-picks-iowa Hawk Fans Bid Twenty-Two Adieu: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/hawk-fans-bid-twenty-two-adieu
Iowa 76, No, 4 USC 69: #33, Feeling 22: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-76-no-4-usc-69-33-feeling-22

BRAD HEINRICHS: CEO of SWARM Talks Transfer Portal, Changing NIL Landscape

Brad Heinrichs joins HawkCast to discuss all things #Hawkeyes. Transfer portal acquisitions, the money side of things at SWARM, how Brad's job has changed, and more.
What December and January were like for Brad, what it took to land Mark Gronowski, Hank Brown could surprise people, other players -- Jonah Pace, Bryce Hawthorne, Sam Phillips, how football, men's basketball and women's basketball compare to one another, fun behind the scenes stories, and more.
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Initial Impressions of Mark Gronowski: https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/initial-impressions-of-mark-gronowski-at-iowa.461966/
What Mark Gronowski Missing the Spring Means: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/what-mark-gronowski-missing-the-spring-means-for-the-hawkeyes
Three Thoughts on Mark Gronowski's Commitment: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-mark-gronowski-s-expected-commitment-to-iowa
COMMIT: South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-iowa-expected-to-add-south-dakota-state-qb-mark-gronowsk

BIG BOYS: Iowa Gets THREE OL Commits, MBB to Miss B1G Tourney?, Caitlin Clark Jersey Retirement

Eliot, Adam and Ross share their thoughts on Iowa adding the commitments of Hudson Parliament, Colin Whitters and Owen Linder, hit on the #Hawkeyes losing 4 of their last 5, and discuss the big weekend ahead for Iowa women's hoops.
What the commitments say about George Barnett, what each commit could bring to Iowa City, everyone is to blame for how bad Iowa MBB has played lately, where Fran McCaffery can change things, How the women have gotten things turned around, facing USC, a huge recruiting weekend plus more.
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Initial Impressions of Mark Gronowski: https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/initial-impressions-of-mark-gronowski-at-iowa.461966/#post-12829024
Three Thoughts on Three OL Commits: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-iowa-s-new-2026-ol-commits
OSU Three Takeaways: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/ohio-state-82-iowa-65-on-the-road-getting-blown-out-again
Northwestern WBB Win: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-85-northwestern-80-stuelke-guyton-stave-off-late-upset-bid

Iowa Basketball SLUMP: Hawkeye Women Lose 5 in a Row, Men Drop Back-to-Back in LA

Eliot, Adam and Ross breakdown the latest in Iowa men's and women's basketball, as the Hawkeyes each have losing skids of their own. Plus, addressing Mark Gronowski's shoulder injury and the implications of missing the spring.
Why Lucy Olsen is struggling, the lack of cohesiveness between the vets and the freshmen, Hannah Stuelke's concussion, the current leadership structure, how to fix the problem at hand, the men's defensive issues, how to address the problems, where Seydou Traore best fits offensively, who SHOULD start, total lack of consistency, how Brendan Sullivan can take advantage of Gronowski's absence, what the South Dakota State transfer can do in the meantime, plus more.
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Oregon Loss: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/oregon-50-iowa-49-quacking-under-pressure
UCLA Loss: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/ucla-94-iowa-70-officially-a-trend
Portal Grades: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/iowa-football-2025-transfer-portal-grades
Missing Gronowski in the spring: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/what-mark-gronowski-missing-the-spring-means-for-the-hawkeyes

ANOTHER Portal Addition: Sam Phillips to Bring SPEED and PLAYMAKING to Iowa

Eliot and Ross detail the addition of Chattanooga wide receiver, Sam Phillips via the transfer portal, as well as Isaiah Johnson-Arigu's commitment to the #Hawkeyes after hitting the portal part way through his freshman year with Miami.
What Phillips will bring to Iowa, Getting another weapon for Mark Gronowski, adding Phillips and not replacing anyone, Johnson-Arigu's future role with Iowa, his skillset, Iose Epenesa's All-American Bowl performances and more.
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Sam Phillips Commit: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-iowa-adds-chattanooga-transfer-wr-sam-phillips
3 Thoughts on Phillips' Commitment: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-sam-phillips-commitment-to-iowa
Isaiah Johnson-Arigu Transfer: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-miami-fl-transfer-isaiah-johnson-arigu-picks-iowa
3 Thoughts on IJA's Commitment: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-isaiah-johnson-arigu-s-transfer-to-iowa
Iose Epenesa All-American Bowl: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/top-performers-ranking-implications-from-day-2-of-navy-all-american-bowl

MARK GRONOWSKI is a HAWKEYE: Iowa Lands MAJOR Portal Target

Eliot and Ross breakdown the impact of the Hawkeyes landing South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski in the transfer portal.
Is Gronowski immediately QB1, how he elevates the floor and the ceiling of the QB room, why his accomplishments set him apart from previous Iowa transfer targets and acquisitions, shout out to Tim Lester/Brad Heinrichs/Tyler Barnes, what's next with the Hawkeyes and the portal, + more.
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Lester Sourced Quote: https://x.com/EliotClough/status/1876752324351213706
Gronowski Commits: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-iowa-expected-to-add-south-dakota-state-qb-mark-gronowski
Three Thoughts on Gronowski: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-mark-gronowski-s-expected-commitment-to-iowa
Hawthorne Commits: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/commit-sdsu-transfer-dt-bryce-hawthorne-picks-iowa
Three Thoughts on Hawthorne: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/three-thoughts-on-bryce-hawthorne-s-commitment-to-iowa