Iowa takes on the dominant Oregon Ducks today, but Kirk Ferentz scored a major victory off the field. The veteran continues to take the Hawkeyes through yet another productive run, which is catching the attention of some talented players. For one player, a key game at Iowa City was enough for him to flip his commitment to the Hawkeyes.

Regardless of the result against Oregon, Kirk Ferentz at least entered the game a happy man. 4-star QB Tradon Bessinger, a key target for the Hawkeyes, has committed to the Hawkeyes. The decision came days after his shocking decommitment from Boise State. This followed a visit Bessinger made to Iowa City for the Minnesota game, which the Hawkeyes won with a commanding 41-3. He is the first QB commit for Ferentz’s 2026 cycle, making him an important recruit.

Bessinger is the 16th-best QB in the class and is the 4th-best prospect from Utah. He comes in with some serious firepower in him as well, having racked up 4,313 yards and 53 TDs in his senior season. No wonder he makes a great successor for Mark Gronowski. He leaves college football after 2025, opening up room for the rookie. At Iowa, Tradon Bessinger will have a chance to emerge as a solid QB right from the get-go. The competition will not be easy, but he has a great chance to make an impact and bag the starting role.

Iowa beat UCLA, Minnesota, and BYU for his commitment. The Hawkeyes were able to host him first, and they did not waste this important opportunity. Bessinger told 247Sports that the Minnesota game was the “funnest recruiting experience” for him so far. “The fan base was incredible, and just getting to be around coach Tim Lester was awesome for me and my family. He is a great guy,” he added.

Tradon Bessinger joins the Iowa camp as the highest-rated commit so far. Tim Lester proved to be a big reason why the QB picked the Hawkeyes.

Iowa plans for change with Tradon Bessinger in the picture

Mark Gronowski and Tradon Bessinger are different QBs. The current QB1 is a dual-threat element. But this season, Gronowski has proved to be underwhelming in passing. In 8 games, the QB has produced 946 yards and only 4 TDs. But Gronowski is also a serious rusher, having run a season-high 130 yards against Penn State. He has produced 11 scores as a runner.

But Bessinger is a pure pocket passer and is known for his ability to go down the field with his passes. Tim Lester indicates that Iowa will make an offensive change with him in play. Bessinger likely wouldn’t have decommitted from Boise State if Iowa didn’t paint a convincing picture for him.

“I really like what coach Lester has planned, and I really like the program,” Bessinger said.​ Tim Lester getting to start with the young QB early means that Iowa has a serious weapon in Tradon Bessinger. In September, he registered a school record of throwing more than 500 yards in a single season. In the season opener itself, the Davis QB threw 5 TDs to take his team to a massive 56-21 victory over Brighton. Bessinger is going to be a force to be reckoned with when he enters college football.

Securing Tradon Bessinger at such a pivotal moment will help alleviate some concerns for Kirk Ferentz. He will undoubtedly face risks if he decides to replace Gronowski with the young QB, but he does have the potential to come up to par in the future.