Iowa football may be on its bye week, but that doesn't mean the content on HawkeyeRoundtable.com is slowing down anytime soon. 

We've already provided you on-site coverage of both Iowa basketball media days and football coordinator press conferences, so now it's time to continue our idle week football coverage with a classic midseason exercise - grades. 

Though grades are already a staple of our postgame coverage, these grades will encompass what these players have done for the entire season so far, so get ready for a trip down memory lane. 

Before we get started, it's important to note that Wednesday's article won't include every offensive player. We're going to split this series into three or four different pieces throughout the week so we don't bore you with a 1,500-word article, so be sure to stay tuned for more grades the rest of the week. 

This article is going to feature grades from some of the top skill position players, including quarterbacks Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, so let's get into it. 

QB Hank Brown: B 

Iowa been plenty of ups-and-downs at the quarterback position under Kirk Ferentz, but Brown's Hawkeye career has mostly been up. After taking care of business in non-conference action, which included a comeback win over rival Iowa State, the fourth-year was named the full-time starter ahead of the conference opener at Michigan. Brown looked out of sync for the first three quarters of that game in Ann Arbor, but he redeemed himself by leading the Hawkeyes on a game-winning 91-yard touchdown drive that ended with a walk-off score. 

A stiffer challenge awaited when then-No. 5 Ohio State walked into Kinnick Stadium, but Brown couldn't meet the mark in that game. He fumbled on the second play from scrimmage to set up the Buckeyes' first touchdown of the game and was missing open receivers left and right. Brown would leave the game due to an injury, and his status is now in question. 

Brown's disappointing performance left a lot of bad taste in the mouths of Hawkeye fans, but outside of that, he was a quality quarterback. The mobility is enough to make plays outside of the pocket, and while the struggles of moving off his first read were there, the drive at Michigan proves that Brown has what it takes to win big games for the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

A B feels like the perfect grade here. Nothing overly spectacular, but very solid and reliable when counted on. His current statline: 78/124 (62.95), 5 TD, 132 yards, 1 INT

QB Jeremy Hecklinski: B 

Hecklinski has only started one game this year, but it was a dandy. The third-year started in place of the injured Brown against Washington on Oct. 9 and didn't miss a beat, completing 14 of 19 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. It certainly was a good performance and raised plenty of eyebrows, but you can't help but wonder what Brown could've accomplished with a dominant running game, which didn't show up until the Washington game. Nevertheless, Hecklinski deserves praise for his fearless playmaking and willingness to throw the ball in tight spots - something Tim Lester wants to see. 

The Hawkeyes will have a few decisions to make before returning to action against Minnesota, but they have to feel like they have two quarterbacks capable of leading the team at this point. Considering what Iowa has had in the past, that's a win. 

Kamari Moulton: B+ 

Moulton has been the lead back since the beginning of the season, and there's no reason to believe anything but at the midway point of the year. Moulton told us at media day that he wanted to finish long runs with touchdowns, and he's done that, totaling two 50+ yard touchdowns. The fourth-year tallied 183 yards and two scores in the season opener against Northern Illinois, but persistent struggles up front caused his production (and the rest of the running backs) to diminish until the Washington game. 

The key word was until the Washington game, though. Everything in the run game clicked against the Huskies, allowing Moulton to record a career-best 208 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. The inconsistency in the run game prevents his grade from landing in the A range, but give Moulton a lot of credit for finishing those explosive runs, and he also looks to be even stronger than he was last year. He currently has 519 yards and four touchdowns this season. 

Those attributes were going to lead to a big game at some point in conference play, and that's exactly what happened. Moulton is a major piece of the Hawkeyes' success moving forward. 

WR Tony Diaz: B 

Tony Diaz hasn't made the notable plays that Reece Vander Zee has (more on RVZ in another article), but he's done an admirable job living up to the hype, something few Iowa transfer wideouts have been able to do. The Texas Rio Grande Valley transfer immediately became the No. 1 receiver from day one after collecting 84 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, and it's easy to see why. 

A 5-foot-10, Diaz isn't a guy that can get many 50/50 balls, but the pristine speed and route-running ability have been off the charts. His 56-yard reception set up the Hawkeyes' only touchdown against rival Iowa State, and though he hasn't had more than five catches in a game since, he will remain an integral part of this offense the rest of the way. 

Diaz currently has 329 receiving yards, but having just 11 receptions through three Big Ten games certainly isn't what he's hoping to get. Whoever is under center will have to find a way to get Diaz more targets. 

DJ Vonnahme: B+

The final leader of the skill position groups is tight end DJ Vonnahme. Vonnahme has been a little banged up since the Iowa State game, but he's been very reliable when Iowa has needed someone to throw to. The third-year collected his first two touchdowns of the year in the Washington game and appears to be finding a groove at the right time. 

The bye week should allow Vonnahme to get healthy before the back end of the season, and he's definitely a name to keep an eye on. He finished the first half of the year with 18 receptions for 219 yards and those two aforementioned scores. 

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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]