Hecklinski’s debut puts a second quarterback in the picture.

Jeremy Hecklinski’s first career start produced 202 passing yards and three touchdown passes at Washington. Iowa’s official recap records 14 completions on 19 attempts, with scoring throws to DJ Vonnahme and Reece Vander Zee. On October 12, the university announced that Hecklinski had been selected as one of the Manning Award Stars of the Week.

The announcement places the start in a small Iowa group: Hecklinski is the fourth quarterback in Kirk Ferentz’s tenure to throw at least three touchdown passes in a starting debut. Jon Beutjer threw four in 2000; Ricky Stanzi and Nate Stanley reached the three-touchdown mark in 2008 and 2017. It is recognition of a particular performance, rather than an award for the season.

The surrounding offense helped. Iowa ran for 263 yards in Seattle, including Kamari Moulton’s career-high 208, and finished with 465 total yards. Lester’s evaluation of a quarterback extends beyond the completion line: at the bye-week news conference, he described grading the decision on each play, including checkdowns and throwaways, rather than treating every successful pass as the same decision.

Hank Brown remains part of that evaluation. Lester said Brown had returned to some throwing in practice and that both quarterbacks could play meaningful snaps in the second half. He had not selected the Minnesota starter. Hecklinski’s award adds evidence to the discussion; it does not close it.

Sources: Iowa Athletics · Manning Award announcement · Iowa Athletics · Washington recap · Iowa Athletics · Lester transcript.

Image credit: Iowa Athletics.

Editorial source snapshot: October 14, 2026. Unreleased editorial draft.