Iowa quarterback Marco Lainez enters transfer portal

IOWA CITY — Iowa quarterback Marco Lainez is entering the transfer portal, he announced Monday morning on social media.

Lainez appeared in one game in his two seasons in Iowa City. He was 2-of-7 with four passing yards and 51 rushing yards as he replaced Deacon Hill in the Citrus Bowl following the 2023 season. He was out for part of the 2024 season with a hand injury that required surgery.

Lainez, Iowa’s quarterback from the 2023 recruiting class, was a three-star prospect out of Princeton N.J. His other offers included Louisville, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

The 6-foot-2 quarterback is far from the only one at his position to transfer from Iowa in recent years. In fact, every scholarship-level high school quarterback who signed during Brian Ferentz’s seven-year tenure as offensive coordinator has since transferred (or are currently in the portal).

In this transfer portal cycle alone, Cade McNamara, James Resar and now Lainez have announced plans to enter the portal. That leaves Iowa with only Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan and walk-on Jackson Stratton at the position ahead of its trip to the 2024 Music City Bowl.

Quarterback appears to be a likely position for the Hawkeyes to add via the transfer portal, which officially opened Monday morning. Iowa also has two quarterbacks coming in via the 2025 high school recruiting class.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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