Iowa QB Alex Padilla focuses on ‘making the makeables,’ not future after bowl game

ORLANDO, Fla. — Alex Padilla has gotten the question before — the one about his future after the mid-70-degree December practices, trips to TopGolf and Universal Studios and Iowa’s Citrus Bowl appearance.

Iowa fans will have to wait at least a little longer for the answer.

“I’ll think about the future when that comes,” Padilla said.

The big decisions that could impact his future — namely, whether he or Spencer Petras will be the starting quarterback in Saturday’s Citrus Bowl and beyond — are not public, if the staff has made them yet.

“We both want to be the starter, obviously, but only one guy can be out there,” Padilla said. “We’re both just focused on improving, and we’ll leave it for the coaches to decide who is out there.”

Padilla’s focus, he said after Tuesday’s practice, has specifically been on “making the makeables” since the Big Ten title game.

“Completing all the throws that I can, not missing easy throws and stuff like that,” Padilla said. “I think I’ve improved a considerable amount over the last couple weeks.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he’ll likely make a decision at quarterback “at the end of the week here.”

“They’re both doing a good job,” Ferentz said.

That won’t leave much advanced notice considering the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky is also at the end of the week.

With essentially one full practice left — “Friday’s pretty quick and clean,” Ferentz said — he didn’t point to any particular thing he’s looking for from the two quarterbacks before deciding who his starter will be.

“This is a two-day work block right here, and we’ll just see how the two days finish up,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz downplayed any advantage his team will have ahead of Saturday’s game by being slow to name a starter.

“I don’t see any advantage to it,” Ferentz said. “I don’t know how dramatically different they are, but a little different preparation. So if it keeps ”our opponent on their toes a little bit, that's OK.“

Early indicators seem to point to a Petras start.

Petras was the first-team quarterback in Tuesday’s 11-on-11 drill that was open to media. The junior was also the starter listed on last week’s two-deep depth chart, with Padilla behind him.

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