Clearly cloudy.
This was the oxymoron of the day for Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz as he explained the Hawkeyes’ quarterback situation ahead of their game against Maryland on Saturday.
After starter Brendan Sullivan went down due to injury, Ferentz’s squad has more options than anticipated, but the team lacks a frontrunner before its penultimate game of the regular season.
“That’s kind of our forecast,” Ferentz said at his press conference on Tuesday. “It cleary is cloudy right now. Everything is. We’ll just take it day by day and see who can go.”
On Monday, Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports reported that Sullivan would miss the rest of the regular season due to an ankle injury suffered in the second half of Iowa’s previous game against UCLA. Ferentz didn’t confirm the news, but said Sullivan would won’t be in action against Maryland.
“We’ll see what next week brings. I’m not optimistic,” the head coach said. “But I would assume the bowl game [as a potential return]. But nothing is broken, so hopefully we get him back.”
With Sullivan on the shelf, Iowa’s depth chart displays Week 1 starter Cade McNamara in the first-team, followed by sophomore walk-on Jackson Stratton, who saw his Iowa debut two weeks ago filling in for Sullivan. He completed 3-of-6 passes for 28 yards, including a pair of third down conversions on the Hawkeyes’ game-tying drive.
For Ferentz, this depth chart doesn’t hold much weight in the present. He said that if the Hawkeyes were to play tomorrow, Stratton would start under center.
“I thought he did some good things out in that last ballgame, Jackson did,” Ferentz said. “He has talent. He can throw the football.”
“For the UCLA game, he was practicing with us all week and stayed ready for his opportunity,” Iowa tight end Luke Lachey said of Stratton. “He’s just got to continue to work and he will. That’s the thing. He’s just coming in every day with the right attitude, the right mentality with everything. I’m excited for Jackson. Excited for any quarterback that’s back there.”
Ferentz said he feels “a heck of a lot more comfortable” with Jackson as the starter than he did a week ago. After seeing the Colorado State transfer take reps during the bye week, Ferentz said he believes Iowa can design a scheme for Stratton that will keep him out of dangerous situations.
“You deal with the cards that are dealt you, and play them accordingly,” he said. “In this case we’re not sure what it’s going to look like, but we’ll know as the week goes on.”
As for McNamara, who missed Iowa’s last two games due to a concussion, Ferentz said the quarterback is cleared to play and practiced on Sunday.
“Still processing back,” Ferentz said of McNamara. “He has been cleared to play, and whether or not he can play effectively or not, we’ll see. We’ll just see how the week goes. But we’re prepared for anything, quite frankly.”
The Hawkeyes may have one more option for quarterback, as Marco Lainez looks to be back from a thumb injury that’s held him out for the past three weeks.
“Everyone has a chance outside of Brendan,” Ferentz said.
Brian Ferentz return
The Hawkeyes will see a familiar face when they take on the Terrapins, who employ former Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz as an analyst in head coach Mike Locksley’s staff.
Along with his role as offensive coordinator – a position he’s held since 2017 – Brian Ferentz coached quarterbacks, offensive line, running backs, and tight ends. One of his pupils was tight end Luke Lachey, who offered a supportive reflection.
“I think he’s a great coach, he’s a great person, and he’s helped me make a lot of decisions in my lifetime,” Lachey said.
For Kirk Ferentz, the trip will be a chance to reunite with his son, but not one to make too much excitement about. He said he’s glad his son is “with good people” on Maryland’s staff, but admitted that once Saturday rolls around, competitive spirit takes over.
“That’s what’s silly about coaches exchanges greetings and all that,” Kirk Ferentz said. “I fully know what the other coach wants to do, just like he knows what I want to do, and how we hope the day goes.”
“It’s probably not a great time for a family reunion or just even seeing old friends. Everybody is cordial, but the bottom line is we’ve all got business to take care of on Saturday.”
Iowa safety Sebastian Castro said that Maryland’s offense isn’t “straightforward” and features some gadget plays, but still contains elements of Brian Ferentz’s concepts at Iowa.
Injury updates
Aside from Sullivan, Kirk Ferentz also said wide receiver Reece Vander Zee would not be in action on Saturday.
The head coach also announced that junior defensive lineman Jeff Bowie is leaving the team and will graduate at the end of the year. Hailing from West Branch, Iowa, Bowie had offers from Nebraska, Iowa State, and Kansas State coming out of high school but only saw action in three games with the Hawkeyes, all in 2024.
Kirk Ferentz said Bowie intends to enter the transfer portal and use his last season of college eligibility elsewhere.