Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara clarified Wednesday that he’ll be again with this system subsequent season after tearing his ACL on Sept. 30 in Iowa’s win over Michigan State. “There is still a lot I want to accomplish in the Black and Gold and look forward to bringing it to life in the 2024 season,” McNamara wrote in a message posted to his social media accounts.
McNamara will likely be in his 6th season of school soccer subsequent 12 months however nonetheless eligible since he redshirted as a real freshman at Michigan in 2019 and the COVID-impacted 2020 season does now not rely in opposition to eligibility. The Reno, Nevada, local finished 46 of 90 passes for 505 yards with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 4 and a part video games this season earlier than the injury.
Iowa averaged 22.2 issues all through the 5 video games wherein McNamara performed because the Hawkeyes started 4-1 and inside of putting distance of the 25 issues in keeping with sport reasonable had to meet the contractual prerequisites of embattled offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. However, the Hawkeyes have averaged simply 15 issues within the 3 video games since his injury and backup QB Deacon Hill has struggled.
Even with McNamara, Iowa’s passing assault sputtered. After starting the season with an an encouraging 191-yard passing trip that featured two touchdowns and no interceptions in a win over Utah State, his manufacturing tapered off main as much as the injury. In a sport and a part in opposition to Big Ten opposition, McNamara finished 8 of nineteen passes for 88 yards.
McNamara’s attainable
McNamara’s pedestrian efficiency earlier than the injury can have been a better mirrored image at the Iowa offensive machine than on McNamara himself bearing in mind his secure monitor file. The former four-star prospect finished 63.1% of his passes whilst at Michigan and began all 14 video games for the Wolverines in 2021 as they reached the College Football Playoff for the primary time. After being supplanted by way of J.J. McCarthy in 2022, McCarthy opted to switch.
The concept at the back of including an skilled Big Ten quarterback is that he may just carry the ground of an Iowa crew that ranked 129th in overall offense closing season to one thing a bit of extra decent. He nonetheless may just in 2024 if absolutely wholesome. Part of the rationale McNamara struggled to construct off his forged season-opening efficiency in opposition to Utah State is also resulting from his absence from observe for far of August and early September. McNamara injured his quad in an Aug. 12 scrimmage and did not return as a complete observe player till after the Hawkeyes’ 2nd sport. The injury hampered his talent to construct chemistry with receivers and grasp the Iowa offense.
Other choices
Even if the Hawkeyes fail to achieve the 325-point threshold this season and trainer Kirk Ferentz strikes on from Brian Ferentz, his son, to a brand new offensive coordinator, an enormous overhaul in scheme turns out implausible for a program that takes delight in its id as a defensive and particular groups juggernaut. Assuming the Hawkeyes nonetheless desire a mistake-averse quarterback with stereotypical “game manager” qualities subsequent season, McNamara is most probably going to be the most efficient wager.
Given this system’s deficient contemporary monitor file on the place, it is not going that Iowa goes to make a splashy quarterback addition within the switch portal. While 2024 quarterback dedication James Resar is thought of as a four-star prospect with dual-threat talent, McNamara will be the smarter play for Iowa to start 2024 versus entrusting an offense missing in different playmakers to a freshman. As Hill has demonstrated in contemporary weeks, the opposite quarterback choices recently at the roster at the back of McNamara aren’t specifically horny. Thus, it stands to reason why that McNamara will likely be returning to a starting place subsequent season, as long as his rehabilitation is going easily.