It's natural. The quarterback battle is going to command the attention of every headline and conversation about the Iowa Hawkeyes entering 2026.Is it going to be Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski starting in Week 1? That battle, which is the flagship storyline, is shadowing some other points of conversation that we need to discuss before Iowa gets its 2026 campaign underway.Kicker cannot be overlookedDrew Stevens held things down for the last four years incredibly well. He was consistent, made big kicks, and won Iowa its fair share of games with his right leg. He's gone. And kicker is a massively important position in Iowa's style of play.Eli Ozick and Caden Buhr are set to compete during training camp, with my gut telling me that Ozick, the North Dakota State transfer and FCS All-American, has the inside edge from playing in big games.Unlike a lot of teams, kicker cannot be an afterthought for Iowa. This has to be a position of importance and immediate success.How quickly do the new offensive linemen get on the same page?Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett watches a play during Hawkeyes football Kids Day at Kinnick open practice, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.