IOWA CITY, Iowa — Quarterback Cade McNamara will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury and will have surgery next week, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed at his news conference Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
As a graduate transfer, McNamara has one more season of college eligibility. “His intentions are to come back and play,” Ferentz said.
The QB was injured early in the second quarter of the Hawkeyes’ game against Michigan State with a non-contact injury running out of his end zone. He fell to the ground and was helped off the field without putting any pressure on his left leg.
After getting checked out on the sidelines and the training room, McNamara came back to the field on crutches and a leg wrap from his upper thigh to past his left knee.
In four-plus games, the Michigan transfer completed 51.1 percent of his passes for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
What does this mean for Iowa?
The Hawkeyes now are on to sophomore Deacon Hill, who also transferred to Iowa in January. Hill began his career at Wisconsin but entered the portal last fall when coach Paul Chryst was fired. Hill committed to Fordham in December but flipped to Iowa because of Hawkeyes’ special assistant Jon Budmayr, who initially recruited Hill to Wisconsin. Hill took first-team reps when McNamara was out in April and late August.
Hill has completed 15 of 35 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and one interception in four games. In relief of McNamara, Hill was 11-of-27 passing for 115 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Iowa receivers did drop five passes, however.
In reserve, Iowa has sophomore Joe Labas, who started the Hawkeyes’ 21-0 win against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl last year. Labas was 14-of-24 passing for 139 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 11 yards. Labas was hurt for most of training camp, which allowed for Hill to secure the backup spot.
Backstory
McNamara helped Michigan to the 2021 Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff berth. He split time with current Wolverines’ starter J.J. McCarthy late that season and early in 2022 before McNamara suffered a right knee injury that required surgery last fall.
In January, McNamara transferred to Iowa but was unable to work in team drills during the spring because of his recovery. In mid-August, McNamara injured his right quad muscle while scrambling and missed the final two weeks of camp. He was limited in the playbook for most the season because of his inability to run at full speed.
Required reading
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
Iowa’s starting quarterback, Cade McNamara, will be out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury. The news was confirmed by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz during a press conference on Tuesday. McNamara, a graduate transfer, still has one more season of college eligibility and intends to come back and play.
McNamara sustained the injury early in the second quarter of Iowa’s game against Michigan State. It was a non-contact injury as he was running out of his own end zone. He fell to the ground and had to be helped off the field without putting any pressure on his left leg. After being evaluated on the sidelines and in the training room, McNamara returned to the field on crutches with a leg wrap from his upper thigh to past his left knee.
In the four-plus games that McNamara played this season, he completed 51.1 percent of his passes for 505 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. His absence will be a significant loss for the Hawkeyes.
With McNamara out, the Hawkeyes will now turn to sophomore Deacon Hill as their starting quarterback. Hill, who transferred to Iowa in January, began his college career at Wisconsin but entered the transfer portal when coach Paul Chryst was fired. Hill committed to Fordham initially but changed his decision to Iowa due to the presence of Hawkeyes’ special assistant Jon Budmayr, who had recruited him to Wisconsin. Hill had already taken first-team reps during McNamara’s absence in April and late August.
In the four games he has played this season, Hill has completed 15 of 35 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In relief of McNamara, Hill went 11-of-27 passing for 115 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It’s worth noting that Iowa receivers dropped five passes during his playing time.
As a backup option, Iowa also has sophomore Joe Labas, who started in the Hawkeyes’ 21-0 win against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl last year. Labas had a solid performance in that game, completing 14 of 24 passes for 139 yards and one touchdown. He also contributed 11 rushing yards. Labas was injured for most of training camp, which allowed Hill to secure the backup spot.
McNamara’s injury is a setback for Iowa, but they have capable replacements in Hill and Labas. The team will need to adjust their game plan and support their new starting quarterback as they continue their season.
Cade McNamara’s journey has been filled with ups and downs. He played a significant role in helping Michigan win the 2021 Big Ten title and secure a College Football Playoff berth. However, he had to split playing time with current Wolverines’ starter J.J. McCarthy before suffering a right knee injury that required surgery last fall. McNamara transferred to Iowa in January but was unable to participate in team drills during the spring due to his recovery. In mid-August, he injured his right quad muscle while scrambling, causing him to miss the final two weeks of camp. Throughout the season, McNamara’s limited mobility affected his performance and ability to execute plays at full speed.
The loss of McNamara is undoubtedly a blow for Iowa, but they have capable quarterbacks in Hill and Labas who can step up and lead the team. It will be interesting to see how they adjust to their new roles and how the Hawkeyes perform moving forward.