Alex Padilla will stay at Iowa in 2022, his father confirms

Padilla’s return leads to intriguing 2022 quarterback competition

Jan. 12, 2022 4:36 pm, Updated: Jan. 12, 2022 5:47 pm

Iowa quarterback Alex Padilla (8) warms up ahead of the Hawkeyes’ game against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Alex Padilla will stay at Iowa in 2022, his father told The Gazette, squashing any speculation of a transfer at this time.

Padilla got a taste of the starting quarterback role after Spencer Petras left the Nov. 6 Northwestern game because of a shoulder injury.

The sophomore initially kept the starting role, even after Petras became healthy, but Iowa switched back to Petras midway through the Nebraska game.

Petras, meanwhile, ended his Citrus Bowl postgame media availability with “see you next year,” implying a return for the Californian as well.

Padilla and Petras have been “best friends” despite both vying for the starting quarterback role.

The apparent return of both quarterbacks will set up a rare competition with two options who had significant playing time in 2021. In a four-year span in the Big Ten, this scenario has happened about 19 percent of the time.

Freshman Joey Labas, who worked primarily on the scout team in 2021, also could be in the mix at the position.

Ferentz said Labas was doing a “good job” in second-team opportunities while Petras was recovering from a torso injury in December although he was still learning much of the playbook at the time.

The Des Moines Register first reported Padilla’s plan to return.