Quarterback Mark Gronowski had a big decision to make after South Dakota State’s 2024 season.

Should he stay or should he go?

Gronowski, a former Neuqua Valley star, had led the Jackrabbits to two Division I Football Championship Subdivision national titles in four seasons. With one year of eligibility left, he could have stayed at South Dakota State, entered the transfer portal or declared for the NFL draft.

“It’s a wild process in the grand scheme of things,” Gronowski said. “When I was looking at the quarterback market and the market that’s in NIL now, coming back to college had to be considered, and taking another year to develop and playing Big Ten football against higher competition is a great opportunity.

“After talking to some scouts and talking to my agent and my parents, I ended up making that decision to test out the portal, see what was out there before making a final decision.”

Gronowski, who threw for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns and rushed for 1,767 yards and 37 TDs while compiling a 49-6 record as South Dakota State’s starting quarterback, drew interest from many schools before committing to Iowa in January.

Gronowski liked the vibe he got from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Tim Lester, the Wheaton native who worked as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers in 2023 as Jordan Love became their starting quarterback. The Hawkeyes also reportedly gave Gronowski a seven-figure NIL deal.

“Coach Lester was a big reason why I ended up coming to Iowa because he was an NFL coach previously,” Gronowski said. “Thinking about the development side and learning an NFL offense under him, I thought I could take my game to the next level and improve my draft stock going into next year.”

Gronowski, who projected as a mid- to late-round pick had he declared for the 2025 NFL draft, was also recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

“That ended up being part of the decision as well,” he said. “During spring ball, I actually ended up standing behind the quarterback that was in during practice during team segments.

“I would be getting mental reps and doing the entire play from behind and acting it out in my mind like I was actually in there, so I could take advantage of the opportunities I was getting to learn the offense that way. I was also meeting with coach Lester a couple times a week so when we started practicing, I could hit it full force.”

Gronowski is expected to be Iowa’s starting quarterback, although he said he will have to compete for the job. Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus is familiar with that attitude.

“He’s a phenomenal kid, but he’s an even better leader than he is a football player,” Ellinghaus said. “He’s one of those kids that everybody pulls for because he treats people right.

“He just works his butt off at everything he does, and you want to see a kid like that succeed.”

Gronowski’s ultimate goal is to play in the NFL, but his stop at Iowa also figures to be a memorable part of his journey. He will be the first Neuqua Valley graduate to play quarterback in the Big Ten.

“Now I get an opportunity to play Big Ten football, which was a childhood dream of mine, especially growing up in Big Ten country in Illinois,” he said.

Gronowski still gets back to Naperville whenever he can to visit family and friends and to train with former NFL player J.R. Niklos at Acceleration Sports Performance. He was here for Father’s Day weekend.

“My sister and her two kids were in town,” he said. “It was great coming back there.”

Gronowski has returned to Iowa to begin preparing for the season opener against Albany on Aug. 30.

“It’s great to be back out there,” he said. “It’s so much more enjoyable after you’re out for so long.

“I kind of feel like a kid in a candy store a little bit, playing a kid’s game and having fun and practicing. It’s great being around all the guys as well.”

Gronowski wouldn’t comment on the financial aspects of his NIL deal, but he confirmed he’s in a good economic situation. With a master’s degree in engineering, he’s prepared for life after football too.

“Financially, he should be set,” Ellinghaus said. “He and some of these college kids could make more with these NIL deals than if they did go into the NFL.

“He’s set up beautifully, and that’s good for him. He’s worked hard to get where he’s at. It’s a real great story when you see him have the success that he’s had.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.