Football is QUARTERBACK-DRIVEN these days. In the pros the SAME QBs go to the championship games, year after year, even tho the team around them changes drastically each year.
In college, QBs aren't around as long b/c of graduation. But make no mistake, a 'winning QB' is worth a handful and a half of other good/great players. All great teams have great QBs. I think it's all that's really held us back the last 5 years from being borderline 'elite'. It's why every BIG team that didn't have a great returning QB went to portal to get one (except us apparently)
Iowa had a lot of needs not just QB on offense. Remember this offense was probably the worst since the early 80's not even that far back, 2023, compared to the rest of the B1G.
So, there were a lot of holes especially at WR. To get a top tier QB who is better than say Hank Brown or Heck, they probably would need to pony up 2-3 million and then who would he pass to?
What's the point of spending that much on a QB that can air it out when WRs can't get consistent separation?
They chose to go the young route with the resources they had. If they had the money to fill WR, back up RB, and QB, I am sure they would have tried to get a Colton Joseph or someone similar.
All this the same though, I still think Hank Brown can be a very good QB for Iowa and has shown he can win games.
Just look at Indiana vs. UM. Indiana probably has double the budget and needed OT to win that game. Iowa was able to win it with Hank Brown and the low budget roster.
The further play on this though is that Iowa is very young.
Brown - 4th year
Diaz - 3rd year
RVZ - 3rd year
DJV - 3rd year
If Iowa can retain all those players for next year, that is some continuity with talented players that Iowa hasn't had since Stanley days.
Now this year they could say they can retain those skill position players and drop $2 million on some super accurate G5 passer. Even then though, the step up to the B1G from there is higher than it's ever been and is no guarantee for success.
Everyone is talking about Wisconsin and rightfully so, the year isn't over yet but what if Iowa wins that game, then beats Nebby and NW and all these other schools that got transfer QBs in. Then it's clear the best decision was made to stay in house.
And if James didn't fumble that punt return or Wallace corralled that INT and Iowa wins 13-10 no one would be talking about it, they would be saying Iowa played their worst possible game and still beat a highly veteran Minnesota team on the road. We aren't in reality talking like Iowa is miles away from competing in the CFP. They are probably the rest of this season and a year of really hard work while keeping the skill players and Hank Brown from being a much better team.