Most important Hawkeye football storyline easy to overlook
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – No disrespect to Tim Lester, Jon Budmayr, Kadyn Proctor, or to all the veteran players on the Iowa football team that have decided to return for their fifth or sixth seasons, but the most important storyline, the one that could impact the 2024 season more than anything else, is the health of quarterback Cade McNamara.
Given everything that has happened with Hawkeye football since McNamara suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fifth game against Michigan State, it’s easy to overlook, or almost forget, about his situation.
Sort of out of sight, out of mind.
McNamara is recovering from his second straight season-ending knee injury and has only played in eight games over the past two seasons.
McNamara struggled in the five games in which he started for Iowa last season, completing just 51.1 of his passes for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
But in fairness, McNamara never was completely healthy last season as he also suffered a soft tissue injury in the 2023 Kids Day practice last August, and about two weeks before the season opener.
The injury limited McNamara’s mobility, and that was obvious the few times when he tried to scramble.
McNamara just wasn’t himself, and he hasn’t been himself since very early in the 2022 season when he still was competing with J.J. McCarthy for the starting position at Michigan.
McCarthy won the job, and then McNamara was injured in the third game and never played for Michigan again.
It was a drastic change from the 2021 season in which McNamara started all 14 games and led Michigan to the Big Ten title, and to the four-team college playoff.
He performed well throughout the 2021 season, more steady than spectacular, and most importantly, he won games, which is the ultimate test for every quarterback.
Of course, McNamara was fortunate to have Michigan’s supporting cast, which included arguably the best offensive line in the country. But he still did his part, and did it very well at times.
McNamara passed for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 2021 season, completing 64.2 percent of his throws with just six interceptions.
If he were to achieve anything close to those numbers for Iowa next season, it is easy to imagine the team having great success.
Football is often described as the ultimate team sport, but there is no position as important as quarterback, although, punter runs a close second at Iowa.
So much of what happens on offense depends on how the quarterback performs.
That is both the beauty, and the curse, with playing quarterback.
The offensive line will certainly have a huge impact on the performance at quarterback, and the hope is that the addition of the 6-foot-7, 360-pound Proctor, a former five-star recruit from Southeast Polk, will provide a significant boost.
Proctor started all 14 games for Alabama at left tackle last season before transferring to Iowa in January.
When healthy, Cade McNamara has shown that he can play his position at a high level, and that he can win games at this level.
He isn’t a dual-threat quarterback, but when healthy, the 6-1, 205-pound McNamara can move the pocket, and can turn broken plays into positive gains.
McNamara is just what Iowa, and what Tim Lester as the new offensive coordinator, so desperately need, if McNamara could just stay healthy.
The Iowa offense has performed woefully in each of the past two seasons, suffering a stunning decline from a statistical standpoint.
The problems on offense ultimately cost Brian Ferentz his job as offensive coordinator, while Kelton Copeland has been replaced by Jon Budmayr as the receiver coach.
So, even if McNamara were to make a full recovery, he still would face a daunting task in trying to jump-start the offense.
McNamara’s latest injury happened on Sept. 30, so he will have had about 11 months to recover before the 2024 season opener.
That should be enough time for McNamara to make a full recovery, barring any setbacks.
McNamara announced on social media his plan to return for the 2024 season shortly after his latest surgery.
It seemed to be his way of reassuring Iowa fans that he would be the quarterback next season, even if he is limited in spring practice, which he is certain to be.
Deacon Hill started the last nine games at quarterback after McNamara was injured last season, and to say that Hill struggled at times would be an understatement.
Iowa finished 6-3 in the games that Hill started, but that was due mostly to the defense and special teams leading the way.
Hill was pulled from the 35-0 loss to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl in the fourth quarter and replaced by freshman Marco Lainez, who provided a spark as a runner with 51 rushing yards, but also struggled as a passer.
That was Lainez’s only appearance last season.
He and Hill will compete for the backup job this spring with the assumption, or at least the hope, that McNamara will make a full recovery, be the starter, play well and stay healthy.
There is both risk and reward with this approach.
But Kirk Ferentz apparently has decided that Cade McNamara is well worth the risk.
McNamara now just has to make a full recovery this coming spring and summer, and then stay healthy.
Because there is a lot riding on his health.