Ricky Stanzi is the clear number one at quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes as they go through Spring drills. Stanzi started 11 games this past season and it was during spring drills last year that Stanzi put himself into contention for the starting job.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says Stanzi is clearly the most experienced at the position, and that’s interested because he wasn’t even on the radar last year. Ferentz knows expectations will be much high for Stanzi next season after he completed 59% of his passes and had 14 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Ferentz says Stanzi’s no different from a lot of other guys who have played, except that his position is more prominent than some of the others. Ferentz says one goal for Stanzi is to cut down on turnovers. Mistakes were a huge factor in Iowa’s four losses, and Ferentz says those are the things that cost them last year in the games they lost.
But Ferentz says Stanzi also has a resiliency citing drives after turnovers in the Illinois and Penn State games. Iowa opens next season at home September fifth against UNI.