When redshirt freshman Joe Labas found out he was starting quarterback for the Music City Bowl, his first call was to his parents.

Labas, who acted as the third-string quarterback throughout the regular season, will make his first career collegiate start on Dec. 31 against Kentucky.

“It was kind of a shock, and it was just a mix of a lot of emotions,” Labas said of when he found out he was going to be QB1. “I called my parents right away, and they were happy for me, excited, and I was excited for the opportunity, as I am right now.”

Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz officially announced Labas would be the starting quarterback in a press conference on Wednesday. True freshman Carson May will back Labas up.

Labas’ first career start for the Hawkeyes will also be the first time he’s seeing the field in the Black and Gold. Neither he nor May have thrown a collegiate pass. And the third-string quarterback for the Music City Bowl is still up in the air.

“It means he’s No. 1, Carson is No. 2, and your guess is as good as mine on No. 3,” Ferentz said in regards to Labas’ lead on May.

“The thing about Joe and Carson, they’ve been doing a good job, but they need each and every snap they can get to try and bring them up to speed,” Ferentz added. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

Labas has spent the past two years on the Hawkeyes’ scout team. Now, he’s adjusting to the preparation as a starting quarterback for a Big Ten program.

“It’s different than scout, for sure, different pace,” Labas said. “With scout, you would go 100 percent in preparing for Kentucky right now. On offense, I go 50 percent, maybe, a little less than 100 percent. It’s different, but it’s a lot more mental for me, obviously. But it’s been good getting comfortable and getting the reps in.”

Labas and May are the only two listed quarterbacks on the roster that are able to compete in the bowl game in Nashville on Dec. 31.

Starting quarterback Spencer Petras had season-ending shoulder surgery after he suffered an injury against Nebraska on Nov. 25. Backup quarterback Alex Padilla, who appeared in two games this season, entered the transfer portal soon after the regular season ended. 

While Padilla is no longer practicing with the team, Labas said Petras has been an immeasurable help during bowl game prep.

“With Spencer, he’s been helping me out a lot,” Labas said. “He’s like a third coach out there, another quarterback coach. He talks to me every single play, and I need that. He’s been helping me a lot, he’s been great. So, I really appreciate him for helping me out, and he knows the offense very well, obviously, just getting input from him.”

Labas came to Iowa from Brecksville, Ohio, where he was a quarterback and a punter at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School. He threw for 2,349 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior in high school — the last time he took a snap in a game.

The second-year Hawkeye isn’t as versed with the playbook as Petras, who has been with the program for five years, but senior cornerback Riley Moss said Labas has already thrown wrinkles in some plays. 

“He’s thrown some good balls,” Moss said. “He’s mobile, which we’re not typically used to that, Iowa vs. Iowa. That puts a little spin on things, and I think that’s the thing that’s been getting [the defense] a little bit, having a mobile quarterback back there. They’ve thrown in some different stuff for him as well.”

As a dual-threat quarterback, Labas said he’s pretty comfortable with the playbook he’s spent two years learning. He added the Hawkeyes have added some never-seen-before plays because of his mobility.

“I’m comfortable with basically everything,” Labas said. “Just throughout this bowl prep, there’s a lot of reps. You need that at any position, but especially at quarterback, because it’s a lot of mental stuff you have to focus on. The reps have been helping me out a lot, and I’ve been getting comfortable with everything. The playbook is pretty wide open.”