Mark Gronowski’s name has been buzzing in college football circles lately, and for good reason. After a stellar run at South Dakota State, where he racked up over 10,000 passing yards and nearly 1,800 rushing yards, he made the leap to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Immediately after transferring, they forced Gronowski to have offseason shoulder surgery, a move that sidelined him during spring drills and had Hawkeye fans holding their breath. But if you’ve been following Gronowski, you know he’s no stranger to injury alarms.
In the spring of 2021, he hurt his knee in the FCS Championship game; his knee “folded in half,” as he recalled it, knocking him out for the entire next season. That might have derailed his career, but he came back to lead SDSU to its first-ever FCS title and a Most Outstanding Player award. This summer, fast forward to the present, and the attitude is different. Gronowski’s stronger than ever. In a recent interview with the members of Iowa’s offense, he spoke with the media on Wednesday morning, talking about Mark Gronowski’s playing style.
When questioned on how he was doing, Gronowski was fairly candid about it. “That’s part of the full progression of coming back from any injury,” Gronowski said. “I mean to start off the summer, I was trying to limit myself, trying not to have that soreness in the shoulder, kind of just like a pitcher coming back from pitching three days ago. You know, like they’re trying to warm back up into it. But now I’m full go. I’m throwing every single day, just trying to get ready for fall camp.” In January, Gronowski decided to get his shoulder taken care of, an injury that had bothered him through his final year at SDSU. The timing meant he’d miss out on spring practices, and suddenly, Iowa’s shiny new quarterback was on the shelf, rehabbing instead of throwing bombs.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz tried to calm the waters, saying Gronowski’s recovery was “a little ahead” of schedule. But now, Gronowski has not just returned—he has received medical clearance, is throwing passes, and is even flaunting at the Manning Passing Academy with some of the nation’s top college quarterbacks. He’s thrown every day since summer arrived, informing reporters, “If anything, I might feel stronger,” Gronowski said. “Just having to incorporate the legs a little more throughout the rehab process. Now that the arm’s back, I feel great.” When word got out that he was getting shoulder surgery, it was like déjà vu for fans. But it’s now just another installment in Gronowski’s book of comebacks.
Why Mark Gronowski’s transfer is a game-changer
“I think this Gronowski kid from South Dakota State, who’s transferring to Iowa, is a huge deal no one talks about,” Joel Klatt commented on The Next Round Podcast. Mark Gronowski’s transition to Iowa is shaping up as one of college football’s most intriguing stories this season, and it’s not just because of his gaudy stats or FCS trophies. Gronowski approached his move to Iowa with humility and intention. He likened it to his first year at South Dakota State when he needed to establish relationships before becoming a leader. He explains, “We’re playing against one of the top defenses in the country every single day at practice. Which makes it a lot more fun for me because I’m trying to learn their scheme. Trying to understand the guys and how they play.”
He adds to that, “It’s been really fun competing against Xavier [Xavier Nwankpa] at safety every single day, and we talk after practice, kind of going back and forth…. It’s been fun to compete against them, but the biggest difference is kind of the speed of the defense right now. And just getting those reps in practice, being able to see it all spring has really helped it. And I feel really comfortable with the game right now.” He even hung out with his QB coach, Jeff Christensen, and a few of the Iowa receivers at the Manning Passing Academy, learning from Peyton and Eli.
But don’t get it twisted, the football universe is waiting to see if his FCS dominance is Big Ten-proof. Joel Klatt, the Fox Sports analyst, called Gronowski’s transfer “one of the loudest moves of the offseason,” comparing it to John Mateer’s high-profile jump to Oklahoma. Gronowski’s 2024 stats with 2,721 yards and 23 TDs read like a cheat code, but now he’s got to prove it against Big Ten defenses. NFL scouts are already noticing, and Gronowski himself credits inspiration from the likes of Josh Allen, who came in through the “small school” path to NFL fame.
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