QB competition far from a done deal

IOWA CITY - It's January and like snow, a college football depth chart issued in the dead of winter will melt before September.

Still, junior C.J. Beathard is listed as Iowa's No. 1 quarterback ahead of senior Jake Rudock. You expected this after Beathard saw many more snaps than Rudock, who started 11 games for Iowa, in the Hawkeyes' TaxSlayer Bowl defeat to Tennessee.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz didn't use the term 'open competition,” but that seemed assumed from his comments Wednesday.

'It's well documented that we opened things up again in December, and watched both guys,” Ferentz said. 'Again, I think both guys grew.

'At I sit here today, we still have two very good quarterbacks. I think it's very, very close between the two of them and at this given point you know we just think, we're all in agreement, the thing that gives us, at least at this point with what we believe gives us the best chance to move forward right now is give C.J. a chance to be the starting quarterback.”

If you believe Rudock's performance against Nebraska in Iowa's season finale or the TaxSlayer Bowl was the impetus for change, Ferentz said you're wrong.

'There are a lot of things that we've done in the last couple outings that are going to have to be addressed or we're not going to win on a consistent basis,” Ferentz said. 'The quarterback had nothing to do with punt coverage, just as an example. I want to be clear on that.”

Ferentz then measured positive statements about the two and passed them out evenly. The QB topic came to a head in early December, when Beathard and his father, Casey, were quoted in a story in the Tennessean that they wished for some clarity at the position going into the bowl game.

QB also was a topic of discussion between Ferentz and Iowa athletics director Gary Barta.

'I listened to his assessment of the two quarterbacks,” Barta said. 'He's been very consistent in saying we have two terrific quarterbacks. I listened to his decision to put out his two deep and what he's thinking right now and I said I support it.”

After the TaxSlayer Bowl, Beathard left the Iowa locker room with a police escort and no interviews. Beathard hasn't spoken to the media since late October. Rudock hasn't talked to reporters since the Nebraska game on Nov. 28.

'I think Kirk has from time to time tried to limit distractions,” Barta said. 'I didn't know it was happening at the time, when he talked about not sending the quarterbacks out [after the TaxSlayer], but I support it. It didn't surprise me. Again, to try to limit distractions in a program.”

During the course of Wednesday's news conference, Ferentz was asked if he regretted not going to Beathard sooner. Beathard started one game, at Purdue on Sept. 27, when Rudock was injured against Pitt, but other than that, Rudock started 12 games this season and all 13 in 2013.

'I'm not a big one looking backward. We did what we did based on real, sound ...” Ferentz said, 'all you can evaluate is what you know and what you see. A lot of that has to do with the work that goes on behind closed doors. Both guys do a good job away from the building, but what we see in practice, what we see in competition, no, I don't [have regrets on sticking with Rudock]. I thought both did some good things in the game, and there are some things that were tough to evaluate in the game [the TaxSlayer Bowl].”

Ferentz said he's talked with both players since the end of the season and wanted to inform both on the depth chart change. He didn't reveal any details, but he also wouldn't rule out the possibility of a transfer for either players.

'I'm hopeful that they will be,” Ferentz said. 'I've talked to both guys and that is their plan as of the last time we talked, but it could be a fluid process.”

Spearman transfers

Junior linebacker Reggie Spearman wrote a goodbye to Iowa and Iowa fans Wednesday afternoon on his Twitter feed. Ferentz confirmed that Spearman has left the team and will transfer.

The 6-3, 225-pounder began the 2014 season as a starter, but was replaced around midseason by sophomore Josey Jewell. Spearman finished the season with 39 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Also on the transfer front, sophomore offensive lineman Colin Goebel (6-5, 280) also is leaving the program and has been given a release to transfer.

Nothing to Barta, West Virginia

Last week, a report from the The Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette linked Barta as a candidate for the opening at that school. WVU has since hired Shane Lyons, a deputy director at Alabama.

Barta said there was no truth to the report.

'I would love to finish my career at Iowa,” said Barta, now in his ninth year as Iowa's AD. 'That would be my goal and desire. Now there's other people that control that. I control whether the coaches have jobs, I don't control whether I do.”

Quick Slants

- Senior defensive end Riley McMinn will take a medical redshirt and end his playing career. McMinn has been injured and has seen little action the last three seasons.

'He's had a lot of injuries throughout his career, so unfortunately he's not going to be able to continue as a football player,” Ferentz said. 'He will graduate and I believe will be going to graduate school in the fall here.”

- Former Iowa running back Mark Weisman had a surgery after the TaxSlayer Bowl. Weisman ended his career with 32 rushing TDs.

'He's going to be fine moving forward, and I think he has an outstanding career waiting for him,” Ferentz said.

- Ferentz talked Wednesday about checking out other offenses and how they do things. The one he mentioned specifically was the Green Bay Packers.

'I love to study. There is a lot of good stuff in Green Bay. We'll take some time there,” Ferentz said. 'We've got high hopes for C.J. We have high hopes for Jake Rudock. To think they're going to be Aaron Rodgers ... that would be great if it turns out that way.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com