Cade McNamara would be Iowa’s starting quarterback ‘if we were playing tomorrow’

IOWA CITY — Cade McNamara would be Iowa football’s starting quarterback “if we were playing tomorrow,” head coach Kirk Ferentz told reporters on Thursday.

Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan would be the No. 2 quarterback, Ferentz said, and redshirt freshman Marco Lainez would be the No. 3 quarterback.

McNamara began fall camp as Iowa’s clear first-team quarterback, but his preseason struggles prompted the question of whether Sullivan could surpass him.

“We’ve been letting both guys get some work with the ones,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz, when asked about what separated McNamara from Sullivan, said McNamara has the “unfair advantage” that he already has “established himself as a respected leader on the team.” Ferentz also pointed to the sixth-year quarterback’s past experience in the conference.

“He’s played in tough venues and done well, been very, very successful,” Ferentz said.

McNamara completed 51.1 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and three interceptions in 2023 before suffering his season-ending injury in Week 5. It was his lowest completion percentage of his career.

In McNamara’s last fully-healthy season, his numbers were much better — completing 64.6 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns versus four interceptions as he helped Michigan reach the College Football Playoff in 2021.

“It’s been a long haul back,” Ferentz said. “Basically, he hasn’t been healthy for two years, so it’s just good to see him the last couple days look more relaxed. He wasn’t pressing, trying to force things, things like that.”

Sullivan, who started four games last year for Northwestern, completed 63.6 percent of his passes while throwing six touchdowns and two interceptions. In his last game as a Wildcat, Sullivan went 12-of-19 for 81 yards and one touchdown against Iowa’s staunch defense.

“There’s been some back and forth, some ups and downs, those types of things,” Ferentz said of his quarterbacks in fall camp. “But both guys this week have just looked more comfortable, and they’ve done a lot of good things.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

Sign up for our curated Iowa Hawkeyes athletics newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks.