Strong leadership qualities are often tied to the quarterback position. Iowa’s new starting signal caller takes a different approach in that area than his predecessor.

Redshirt sophomore Spencer Petras is Iowa’s starting quarterback for the 2020 season, replacing three-year starter Nate Stanley. While often praised as a strong leader on the team, Stanley took a more serious approach to being a Big Ten quarterback.

Petras’ teammates also praise his leadership skills, but for different reasons.

“Spencer, he’s like an energy ball,” running back Mekhi Sargent said. “It’s contagious when you’re around him. Guys gravitate toward his leadership. Spencer brightens up the whole room.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz noted at the end of the 2019 season that Petras had started to look like a starting-caliber quarterback.

A lot of his development, Petras said, can be attributed to Stanely. Petras was the backup quarterback in 2019, but studied what Stanley did as Iowa’s starter.

“The biggest thing I learned from Nate was how to prepare,” Petras said. “How to prepare well to be a Big Ten quarterback. Nate was an extremely good example for two years that I was able to be behind. I have no question in my mind that he showed me the right way to prepare for a game, and that’s who I try my best to emulate.”

Preparing to take over the starting job, however, has not been anything like Petras expected. The pandemic canceled the Hawkeyes’ spring practices, and workouts over the summer were limited.

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Petras said that during the summer, he and four or five other offensive players would workout at a local high school three or four times a week. The goal was for Iowa’s first-year starter to establish familiarity with his corps of receivers.

And now that the team is practicing again ahead of its Oct. 24 opener against Purdue, wide receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Brandon Smith, and Tyrone Tracy said their chemistry with Petras is apparent.

In addition to a talented group of receivers, Petras takes over an offense with Tyler Goodson at running back, Sam LaPorta at tight end, and an experienced offensive line. It’s an ideal situation for a quarterback.

“I feel grateful just to be in the same room with a lot of these guys,” Petras said. “It’s an honor to be able to go out there and play with them. It’s my job to make sure this doesn’t go to waste. We have a great team with a lot of talented guys. It’s up to all of us, but it’s up to me to execute this offense well.”

Petras only appeared in three games last season, taking snaps when the contests had already been decided.

Smith-Marsette described the 6-foot-5, 231-pounder from San Rafael, California, as a quarterback with a big arm, who can also make reads and check the ball down when needed.

Petras attended the same high school as Jared Goff — a top NFL Draft pick and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback — and broke many of his passing records. The first glimpse into how he will perform as Iowa’s starter will be Oct. 24 is West Lafayette.

“He definitely has the ability, he has the leadership — and that’s what we really need at the quarterback position,” running back Ivory Kelly-Martin said. “We’re going to be really confident going into our Week 1 game with him.”