Report: Rudock is leaving Iowa

Senior quarterback Jake Rudock will transfer from the University of Iowa and has plans to visit Michigan next week, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports reported Wednesday morning.

Sources told The Gazette that Rudock, a two-year starter for the Hawkeyes, hasn't worked out or drilled with the team since winter conditioning drills began in mid-January, instead participating with graduated seniors preparing for the NFL draft. Wednesday's news was the next progression of Rudock's departure.

Iowa officials said Wednesday that there will be no immediate statement from Coach Kirk Ferentz. His next interview is scheduled for March 25, when Iowa opens spring practice.

There is a logical tie Rudock-Michigan tie. Passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch was offensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.) in 2011 when Rudock was a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Rudock committed to Iowa in summer of 2010, but Miami made a late charge led by Fisch, according to Feldman's report. As a graduate transfer, Rudock will be eligible in 2015.

So, the floor is yours, C.J. Beathard, the junior who was named Iowa's No. 1 QB in January and who now has no experienced competition behind him on Iowa's depth chart.

The QB topic has been a slow bleed at Iowa since early December, when Beathard and his father, Casey, were quoted in a story in the Tennessean (Nashville) that they wished for some clarity at the position going into the bowl game. Rudock family members were dissatisfied with how quarterbacks were handled in the TaxSlayer Bowl, according to sources.

When Iowa arrived in Jacksonville, Fla., for the game, which was a 45-28 loss to Tennessee, offensive coordinator Greg Davis told reporters that the QB competition had opened up and Rudock and Beathard would share snaps in the bowl.

As it turned out, there wasn't much sharing. Rudock, a two-year starter for the Hawkeyes, started but played just 19 snaps in five possessions compared to 49 snaps and nine possessions for Beathard.

Then, in mid-January, Iowa released a depth chart that listed Beathard ahead of Rudock for the first time. In a January news conference, Ferentz confirmed that Beathard was Iowa's No. 1 QB.

'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 the QB 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.”

During this Jan. 14 news conference, Ferentz said he had spoken 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. '. . . it could be a fluid process,” Ferentz said.

In two seasons as Iowa's starter, Rudock completed 417 of 691 (60.3 percent) for 4,819 yards, 34 TDs and 18 interceptions. As a sophomore starter, Rudock, a native of Weston, Fla., threw 18 TDs and 13 interceptions. Last season, he drastically cut interceptions to five with 16 TD passes. His 61.7 percent completion percentage was second in the Big Ten and was the best at Iowa since Ricky Stanzi completed 64.1 percent of his passes in 2010.

In two seasons as Rudock's backup, Beathard has completed 61 of 119 passes (51.3 percent) for 824 yards, six TDs and four interceptions.

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