Wake Forest QB transfer Jeremy Hecklinski found ‘very rare’ Iowa football characteristic

IOWA CITY — A trip to Iowa City was the first transfer portal visit for former Wake Forest quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski. It also turned out to be his last.

The visit went so well that Hecklinski cancelled his other visits and committed to Iowa football on April 23.

“The culture and the way that coach (Kirk) Ferentz runs things,” Hecklinski said of his visit to Iowa. “He’s been doing it for a long time. There’s kind of a new age feel in college football, where it’s a business and I walked in there and I didn’t feel like this was a business, I felt like it was college football.

“It was just guys going out there and putting the pads on and playing and that’s kinda what I liked. Not to say that Wake (Forest) or anything like that or other places I’ve been at aren’t like that. I’m just saying it’s very rare to find nowadays where places aren’t ran strictly like businesses.”

Hecklinski, who has officially signed with the Hawkeyes, adds to the new faces in the program’s quarterback room. Listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds, Hecklinski comes to Iowa with four seasons of eligibility remaining. He appeared sparingly in his lone campaign at Wake Forest, allowing him to maintain his redshirt.

The newest Hawkeye signal caller comes from a football family. His father played quarterback in college. So did his uncle, Jeff, who went on to have a lengthy coaching career, including serving as Michigan’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

More: Iowa football: Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski commits to Hawkeyes

“I’ve grown up, all I know is ball, all I’ve known is football,” Hecklinski told the Register. “I’ve kind of been bred into the quarterback room because, as I said, my dad and my uncle played quarterback, so I’ve got a lot of good resources around me and people helping me navigate my way through all of this.”

Hecklinski was a prolific passer at Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, throwing for more than 3,800 yards as a senior with 50 touchdowns through the air to just six interceptions. But the 2023 MaxPreps National Player of the Year Finalist’s tenure at Wake Forest did not go as expected. In December, then-Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson stepped down from his position, spurring major change within the program.

More: Iowa football’s passing game shows signs of life during spring open practice

The quarterback stuck it out until April but ultimately elected to enter the transfer portal during the spring window.

“I always wanted to be at one school my entire career and compete and battle it out,” Hecklinski said. “That ended up not happening. So now, I’m at Iowa. I’m not going to eat my words, but I want to be here for the next four years and compete.”

In Iowa City, Hecklinski found a familiar face.

During his lone season at Wake Forest, Hecklinski’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was Warren Ruggiero. Their relationship spans back to early in Hecklinski’s high school career.

“It’s very open,” Hecklinski said. “I mean, we talked to each other all the time. Even when I wasn’t at Wake and I was still in high school, he would call me every week and we’d talk ball. He’s just very invested in the people he recruits and shows a lot of love to them, which goes a long way, especially in today’s college football world, where not a lot of people want to recruit high schoolers. He was just very truthful and honest the entire time.”

More: Iowa football: Hiring of Warren Ruggiero already paying dividends for Hawkeyes

With Clawson stepping down, Ruggiero was in the market for a new job. Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester jumped at the chance to add Ruggiero to his staff.

“He was the guy I wanted from day one just because I like the way his brain works,” Lester said of Ruggiero, who has extensive experience in the college football world.

Ruggiero joined the Hawkeyes as a senior analyst during the offseason. Then, after Hecklinski entered the transfer portal, Ruggiero was his connection to the Hawkeye program, opening the door for the pair to reunite in Iowa City. 

“I met with (Tim) Lester and coach (Kirk) Ferentz for a long time,” Hecklinski said of his visit. “The culture and the way they were talking to me seemed very inviting and welcoming. Obviously, I have connections to coach Ruggiero and having him being up in the office, someone I can trust.

“Going through the recruiting process, it’s hard to know who you can trust and know who you can’t. Talking to (Kirk Ferentz) and coach Lester, they seemed like really great coaches and really good people to be around.”

Hecklinski is joining a revamped and intriguing quarterback room. Headlined by two-time FCS national champion Mark Gronowski, five of the six projected players at quarterback were not at Iowa at the start of the 2024 season. Lester oversaw a significant improvement in the running game during his first season with the Hawkeyes. The next step is translating that success to the passing game. 

More: Leistikow: Even with 105 roster cap in limbo, Iowa football has plugged biggest 2025 holes

Regardless of what Hecklinski’s role looks like in 2025, he has the makings of a foundation piece for the future of Iowa’s quarterback room.

“I’ve been called a gunslinger,” said Hecklinski, who threw the ball more than 300 times as a high school senior. “I’ve been called a pocket passer. I’m not a run-first guy. When I get out of the pocket, I’m looking to throw the ball. I don’t have unlimited arm strength. I would say I’ve got a strong arm and I can make really good throws with good accuracy.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.