Report: South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski expected to transfer to Iowa

South Dakota State star quarterback Mark Gronowski appears to be headed to Iowa out of the NCAA transfer portal, with 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reporting that is the ‘expectation’ at this point.

Gronowski has spent the past four seasons at South Dakota State, where he was one of the most prolific passers in the country.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback amassed 10,330 yards passing and 93 touchdowns, against just 20 total interceptions. He also ran for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns.

In addition to the prolific numbers, Gronowski is a two-time FCS national champion and a two-time FCS Championship Game MVP. He was also named the 2023 Walter Payton Award winner, while receiving a slew of other recognitions.

Suffice it to say Mark Gronowski should add some instant pop to an Iowa offense that could use it.

Iowa ranked 117th in total offense last fall, averaging 328.8 yards per contest. The passing offense was even worse, checking in at No. 130 nationally, averaging 131.6 yards per game.

Simply put, that wasn’t going to cut it. Enter Mark Gronowski, a dual-threat quarterback who should spark the offense right away.

Gronowski is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,721 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 380 yards and 10 touchdowns, the second time in his career he had recorded double-digit touchdowns in a season.

Not only has he accomplished that as a runner, Mark Gronowski has thrown for more than 20 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons.

Iowa tight end commits to West Virginia

Mark Gronowski wasn’t the only bit of transfer news for Iowa in recent days, as a transfer out of the program also made his final decision on a destination.

Iowa Hawkeyes transfer tight end Johnny Pascuzzi is taking his talents to Morgantown, committing to join the West Virginia Mountaineers via the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned.

In two seasons with Iowa, Pascuzzi caught two passes for 41 yards. He had one reception in each of the past two seasons. He’ll be looking to make a bigger impact with West Virginia in 2025.

Pascuzzi played high school football at Rockhurst (Kansas City, MO), where he did not have a star-rating as part of the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3’s Steve Samra also contributed to this report.

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