New Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara is set to make his Hawkeye debut on Saturday against Utah State. 

McNamara took a fall on a scramble at open practice on Aug. 12 but was able to walk off the field under his own power. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said afterwards that the QB had soft tissue injury to his right leg, the same leg that he had surgery on in November 2022. 

In his press conference on Tuesday, Ferentz said McNamara was medically cleared to play but said the senior was questionable to start against the Aggies. He clarified that McNamara could be used in an “emergency situation”, but said Deacon Hill would be the starter if McNamara couldn’t go. 

In an Instagram post Thursday, McNamara was in full uniform inside the Kinnick Stadium tunnel. The caption of the post: “It’s been a long time coming.”

The former Michigan QB lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance in 2021, completing 64 percent of his passes and tossing 15 touchdowns during the regular season.