(Iowa City, IA) — Iowa Hawkeye fans will have mixed reactions to the news on Wednesday that QB Cade McNamara has decided to enter the transfer portal and leave the University of Iowa football program. McNamara is a current graduate transfer and will be looking to play a 7th season of college football. Iowa has already taken McNamara off their official roster.
McNamara had an injury filled two seasons in Iowa City, throwing for 1,522 yards, 10 TD, and 8 interceptions in 13 total games with the Hawkeyes. He suffered a season ending ACL injury in the 5th game of the 2023 season. This year, he suffered a concussion in the first half against Northwestern in week 8 and did not return. Brendan Sullivan replaced him and led the Hawks to a 40-14 win against his former team. McNamara has not played since — he was close to getting cleared for the Maryland game but re-aggravated his injury and did not make the trip with the team. Iowa has had to use three different starters at QB this season because Sullivan went down against UCLA and Jackson Stratton, a transfer from Colorado St. started the final two regular season games.
Ironically, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz had an improper contact with McNamara before he officially entered the transfer portal the first time, coming from Michigan. Ferentz had to sit out the first game of the season — a self imposed penalty for the first time in Ferentz’s coaching career.
McNamara’s collegiate career started in 2019 at the University of Michigan and led the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and a playoff appearance in 2021. When J.J. McCarthy won the starting spot, McNamara transferred to Iowa in 2022. McNamara will need the NCAA to grant a waiver for another year of eligibility to play for his third team next year. He only played in three games in 2022 with Michigan so he could seek a medical redshirt to get that year back.
