After nearly a year, Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan is back atop the depth chart – this time manning the helm of the last team he started against. The Hawkeye defense gave Sullivan and Northwestern fits last November at Wrigley Field, holding Sullivan to 12 complete passes for only 81 yards – his lowest production across his four starts that season. 

“They’re just a smart group,” Sullivan said of the Iowa defense. “Play really well. They don’t make many mistakes.” 

After his underwhelming performance at the Friendly Confines, Sullivan was replaced by preseason starter Ben Bryant, who returned from injury the following week. After watching from the sidelines for the rest of the season, Sullivan transferred to Iowa, and on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium, will have the chance to prove he belongs in the Black and Gold as he makes his first start of the season against Wisconsin. 

“It meant a lot, all this stuff that I’ve worked for, the trust they have in me,” Sullivan said. “It means a ton to be able to be the starter for Iowa football.” 

While Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz alluded to a possible starting quarterback tandem between Sullivan and Cade McNamara last week, such will not be the case. Ferentz said Tuesday McNamara suffered a concussion after taking a hard hit in the second quarter in Iowa’s Oct. 26 game against Northwestern. 

“It wasn’t like any symptoms really presented themselves other than he was sore and shook up,” Ferentz said. “I’m not sure when they diagnosed the concussion actually, but he just wasn’t fit to play at halftime.” 

The head coach said he hopes McNamara will be back for next week’s game against UCLA, but said the Michigan transfer won’t play against the Badgers. With Sullivan at QB1, however, the list of names behind him lacks experience. 

Ferentz said second-year Marco Lainez will be the backup on Saturday, followed by fellow sophomore Jackson Stratton, who transferred from Colorado State last offseason. The pair have a combined six completions, 82 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. 

Even Iowa’s future under center is murky. Fourth-string James Resar, a 247 Sports’ four-star recruit from Jacksonville, Florida, has moved to wide receiver, Ferentz said, adding that Resar suffered a non-contact knee injury and will miss some time this season. 

Starring at Bishop Kenny High School, Resar presented himself as a dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 1,986 yards and rushing for another 520 in 2022. Standing at 6–foot-4 and 212 pounds, Resar was a regional qualifier in the 100-meter dash, according to 247’s Andrew Irvins. 

“With James, we looked at things and kind of felt like that might be his best avenue to the field,” Ferentz said. “He’s a good athlete, good-sized guy, and was doing a good job until he got injured.” 

Special teams stars 

Iowa wide receiver Kaden Wetjen earned the Big Ten’s Special Teams Player of the Week award after his stellar performance against Northwestern. Against the Wildcats, the senior posted 176 return yards – including an 85-yard punt-return score. His 432 kick return yards and 260 punt return yards each rank first in the conference and his 25.4 yards per kick return ranks 12th in the FBS. 

Ferentz admitted that going into the season, he was a little worried about Wetjen taking on the returner role. Filling in the shoes of the talented Cooper DeJean would be no easy task, but the coach said Wetjen has earned his trust. 

“People don’t realize how hard of a job that is,” Ferentz said. “I think that’s one of the hardest jobs on the football field maybe outside of playing quarterback. It’s obviously really tough and challenging. But making good adjustments back there and keeping the ball from hitting the ground, all those types of things, just start there.” 

“He’s trying to get somewhere every time,” Ferentz said of Wetjen. “He’s got the ball, he wants to score.” 

While not taking home any hardware from the weekend, Hawkeye punter Rhys Dakin had one of his best games in an Iowa uniform on Saturday. The first-year player from Australia landed four of his eight punts inside the 20-yard line, racking up 358 yards. 

In his first year of college football, Dakin said he learned his margin for error is small.  A punt in the wrong direction or too short of hang time can blow Iowa’s coverage plans. Striving for consistency is his goal, and Dakin believes he has the right support system in special teams coordinator LeVar Woods. 

“He understands all the technical stuff,” Dakin said of Woods. “It’s really good to have a coach that cares. It’s very family-oriented. So it’s nice to have that. Our special teams room is really close and I feel like Coach Woods brings that together.” 

Given the past prowess of Hawkeye standout Tory Taylor, punting has been a prominent part of Iowa football’s recent identity. Ferentz even said it comes to mind when he’s in the shower. 

“I was thinking about what [Dakin] was doing and some other options we might have had as a punter, and you never know,” Ferentz said. “Now you’re talking about Australia, which has been good for us but that doesn’t mean every guy that grew up in Australia is going to pay off.” 

But for Ferentz, the gamble on Dakin is already presenting its rewards. While still a teenager, Dakin acts with a level of maturity uncommon for his age. 

“His ability to really practice well, which for young guys is not usually that easy, but he’s really serious out there on the field. He works at it,” Ferentz said. 

The coach said Dakin will occasionally shank a punt here and there, and while he displays some frustration at the error, doesn’t dwell on it to the point where it impedes his performance. 

“It’s exciting to think that he can get better, and I think he will,” Ferentz said. 

Injury news and notes 

Along with McNamara, Iowa wide receiver Reece Vander Zee, tight end Addison Ostrenga, and cornerback John Nestor will not play against Wisconsin. 

Offensive lineman Beau Stephens, who missed the past two games due to injury, should make a return to the starting lineup against Wisconsin.