Does Iowa football finally have a passing game? 

That's a phrase that has rarely, if ever, been uttered in this decade, but the Hawkeyes could be on to something in 2026. 

Yes, Northern Illinois is probably going to be one of the worst teams in the FBS this year, but whenever Iowa has had a chance to truly get something going in the passing game against a team of this caliber in a season opener, it has failed miserably. 

Let's run through the 2020s, shall we? 

Aside from the 2020 and 2021 openers against conference opponents (Purdue and Indiana), the Hawkeyes have played a Group of Six or FCS foe to open the year in the subsequent four seasons. In chronological order, here are their passing yards in each game: 109 yards (2022), 191 yards (2023), 251 yards (2024), 44 yards (2025). 

Iowa accumulated 218 passing yards in Saturday's 40-0 shutout victory over Northern Illinois, which is the second-most it's had in a season opener over this five-year span. 

Though the 2024 opener statistically outperforms Saturday's numbers, every Hawkeye fan would agree that the 2026 opener showed considerably more promise than 2024 did. There was some optimism after Cade McNamara lit up Illinois State's defense in the second half of that 2024 contest, but that was McNamara's best game as a Hawkeye up to that point as well as Tim Lester's first season as offensive coordinator. 

Lester had a few playmakers to work with in 2024, but McNamara was injury-prone and inconsistent - two things that are very tough to rely on. Iowa barely moved the football in the first half against an FCS team that day, and one could say that was the best the Hawkeyes' passing attack looked over the course of that entire season. 

Flash-forward to 2026, and Lester's influence on this offense is very evident. He now has a loaded supporting cast to build a successful offense, and while there were some bumps and bruises at times, Iowa's offense immediately found a rhythm against the Huskies. 

Hank Brown took the reigns at quarterback, but you would've guessed the game was in the second or third quarter because he looked that crisp. His first pass of the day was a simple screen play to tight end DJ Vonnahme, but after that, the first quarter involved a guy named Tony Diaz. 

Nicknamed "The Boogeyman," Diaz put together a performance Iowa fans haven't seen from a wideout in some time. He totaled 84 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions, dazzling the Hawkeye faithful with his ability to evade tacklers on the outside. The 84 yards were the most by an Iowa wideout since Jacob Gill had 138 in 2024. 

Every time Brown and later Jeremy Hecklinski dropped back to pass, it felt like Diaz was wide open on every play. Creative play calling helps, but a lot of that should be attributed to Diaz's route-running ability. That can only be taught to a certain degree, but Diaz has clearly elevated that to a new level.

He still needs to prove he can do these things against tougher competition - a rivalry showdown with Iowa State next weekend could be a good time for him to do that - but Iowa's got a true legitimate receiver that can get yards after the catch. 

Diaz isn't alone, too. Other wide receivers like Jarriett Buie, Reece Vander Zee, Dayton Howard, and Evan James are all capable on the outside, as are tight ends Vonnahme, Addison Ostrenga, and Thomas Meyer. 

The quarterback situation will need to be sorted out sooner rather than later, but both Brown (12/20, 129 yards, 1 TD) and Hecklinski (7/16, 76 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT) showed signs of life in a season opener when they needed to. 

Remember, this is Week 1. Adjustments will be made and a full-time starting quarterback will be in place. 

There's still a long way to go before Iowa's passing game can be considered really good, but the playmakers and comfortability with the system showed out in a hot, humid Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.

We'll leave you with this note: the Hawkeyes registered 507 yards of total offense in this game, including 372 in the all important first half. That's the most total yards they've had in the Lester era so far, which can only be a good sign, right? 

Iowa's passing game is slowly on the right track to success. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]