With the transfer portal in effect, the Hawkeye roster has seen a revolving door of quarterbacks. Some guys left for greener pastures (or better QB coaching) while others arrived in Iowa City for an opportunity to play. It will be interesting to watch the season play out to see which QB who spent time at Iowa will have the best statistical year. In other words, who will end up with the most passing yards / highest passer rating?
1. Cade McNamara: the guy looked AWFUL at last week's open practice, completing about 33% of his 24 passes for just 20 yards. He's the incumbent starter, and with Ferentz, that means he's going to get a LOT of playing time unless he gets hurt. Given that he's thrown for 3,700 yards in his college career with a 61% completion percentage, and is raking in major NIL money to be at Iowa, Cade is the odds on favorite to have the best year.
2. Spencer Petras: Petras may be the most mocked QB in Hawkeye history. Entering his 6th year of college football, Petras transferred to Utah State and won the starting QB role. Utah State is below average team (they went 6-7 last year), but they play against below average competition (i.e. Wyoming, Fresno State, etc.). Petras has 5,200 career passing yards and completes 57% of his passes. With new/better coaching at the QB position, will Petras have the best year?
3. Deacon Hill: Hill single handedly made Iowa football a national laughing stock and may have had a permanent impact on the Ferentz legacy. The guy should have never been playing D1 football, but was thrust into the starting lineup on a Top 25 team. Hill has 1,150 career passing yards but completed just 48% of his passes. Hill is a dark horse favorite to put up the best numbers because he was relegated to transferring to mighty Utah Tech, which finished a whopping 2-9 last year against the likes of Abeline Christian and North Alabama. Assuming he wins the starting QB role, it is possible that Hill eats up (pun) the lesser competition and puts up the best numbers.
4. Joey Labas: Many feel like Labas got a raw deal playing under an ultra stubborn Ferentz regime that refused to pull a starting QB no matter how poorly he performed. Joey realized that if there was nothing he could do to be given a chance to play ahead of the nation's worst QB, he had to take his talents to Central Michigan. Not only did Labas win the starting position, but he raised eyebrows with his play. Wouldn't it be ironic if the guy who was buried on the depth chart behind some of the worst QBs in Iowa history turns out to be the best QB to come out of Iowa since Beathard?
5. Brendan Sullivan: Sullivan might be the best QB on Iowa's current roster. Does that mean he will see a single snap this year? Afraid not. But if Cade gets hurt, which is likely, does Sullivan have what it takes to have the best season of any Hawk? Yep! Sullivan has 1,300 passing yards in the Big 10 with a 69% completion percentage. More importantly, he's the only QB on the list who can outrun a 3rd grade girl.
6. Other: Believe it or not, there are several other Hawkeye QBs out there fighting for playing time. Alex Padilla is at SMU. Carson May is at Wyoming. Deuce Hogan is at New Mexico State. Marco Lainez was tutored by Petras' QB coach, Rassioppi and is back at Iowa for another year.
1. Cade McNamara: the guy looked AWFUL at last week's open practice, completing about 33% of his 24 passes for just 20 yards. He's the incumbent starter, and with Ferentz, that means he's going to get a LOT of playing time unless he gets hurt. Given that he's thrown for 3,700 yards in his college career with a 61% completion percentage, and is raking in major NIL money to be at Iowa, Cade is the odds on favorite to have the best year.
2. Spencer Petras: Petras may be the most mocked QB in Hawkeye history. Entering his 6th year of college football, Petras transferred to Utah State and won the starting QB role. Utah State is below average team (they went 6-7 last year), but they play against below average competition (i.e. Wyoming, Fresno State, etc.). Petras has 5,200 career passing yards and completes 57% of his passes. With new/better coaching at the QB position, will Petras have the best year?
3. Deacon Hill: Hill single handedly made Iowa football a national laughing stock and may have had a permanent impact on the Ferentz legacy. The guy should have never been playing D1 football, but was thrust into the starting lineup on a Top 25 team. Hill has 1,150 career passing yards but completed just 48% of his passes. Hill is a dark horse favorite to put up the best numbers because he was relegated to transferring to mighty Utah Tech, which finished a whopping 2-9 last year against the likes of Abeline Christian and North Alabama. Assuming he wins the starting QB role, it is possible that Hill eats up (pun) the lesser competition and puts up the best numbers.
4. Joey Labas: Many feel like Labas got a raw deal playing under an ultra stubborn Ferentz regime that refused to pull a starting QB no matter how poorly he performed. Joey realized that if there was nothing he could do to be given a chance to play ahead of the nation's worst QB, he had to take his talents to Central Michigan. Not only did Labas win the starting position, but he raised eyebrows with his play. Wouldn't it be ironic if the guy who was buried on the depth chart behind some of the worst QBs in Iowa history turns out to be the best QB to come out of Iowa since Beathard?
5. Brendan Sullivan: Sullivan might be the best QB on Iowa's current roster. Does that mean he will see a single snap this year? Afraid not. But if Cade gets hurt, which is likely, does Sullivan have what it takes to have the best season of any Hawk? Yep! Sullivan has 1,300 passing yards in the Big 10 with a 69% completion percentage. More importantly, he's the only QB on the list who can outrun a 3rd grade girl.
6. Other: Believe it or not, there are several other Hawkeye QBs out there fighting for playing time. Alex Padilla is at SMU. Carson May is at Wyoming. Deuce Hogan is at New Mexico State. Marco Lainez was tutored by Petras' QB coach, Rassioppi and is back at Iowa for another year.
