Iowa QB Cade McNamara will start Week 1 against Utah State

The Michigan transfer missed two weeks with a quad injury and returned to practice last weekend.

September 2, 2023

Iowa Quarterback Cade McNamara talks with teammates during a spring football practice at the Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

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.

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Matt McGowan, Pregame Editor

he/him/his Matt McGowan is The Daily Iowan's Pregame Editor. He is a sophomore double majoring in journalism and mass communications and American studies with a minor in sport studies. This is his second year with the DI.

Cody Blissett, Visuals Editor

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Cody Blissett is a visual editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a third year student at the University of Iowa studying cinema and screenwriting. This is his first year working for The Daily Iowan.