Cade McNamara anticipating epic battle to be Iowa’s top gunslinger

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Although the veteran quarterback is approaching his second season with the Hawkeyes, he’s at the center of an intense competition for the starting job early in fall camp.

Cade McNamara arrived in Iowa City with a lot of hype behind his name, considering he led Michigan to a Big Ten Title and a Playoff berth in 2021. Hawkeye fans wanted to see McNamara continue his magic in a black and yellow uniform, but his 2023 campaign was underwhelming.

After all, he threw three interceptions through Iowa’s first three games, and suffered a season-ending knee injury against Michigan State. The road to recovery wasn’t easy for McNamara either, but he persevered. Now the Nevada native finds himself in a three-way battle with Brendan Sullivan and Marco Lainez to lead Tim Lester’s offense.

Being a full-time participant in practice is helping McNamara knock off the rust, and find his groove again, so he just wants to keep improving.

“I think me being back on the field it feels really good, I even had the butterflies for the first time again,” McNamara said. “It’s been so long since I’ve had that, and that’s the stuff that reminds me of how much you love the game.”

Despite having to learn three different offenses in the past four years, he’s relying on his experience and leadership through the month of August. McNamara’s performance in the Kids Day scrimmage last Saturday raised some concerns because he didn’t do much to separate himself from Sullivan.

Now the talk around campus is all about the quarterback room. Lester sees value in all three signal-callers, but playing musical chairs with them could potentially be detrimental for the offense. McNamara understands that securing the job comes with a ton of responsibility, and it helps that there’s respect within the unit.

“I think our chemistry is just growing, and there’s a special connection with quarterbacks because we understand how hard the position is,” he said. “We have to make adjustments, call the plays, and as a quarterback you gotta know where all 11 guys are going, as well as the guys on the others side of the ball too.”

Lester’s scheme gives the quarterbacks a lot of freedom at the line of scrimmage, and it’s going to be up to McNamara to take advantage of his reps. From building chemistry with the receivers, to recognizing different defensive coverages, McNamara is set on proving he’s the best option for Lester. Sullivan has valuable Big Ten experience too, after throwing for 1,303 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions over the last two seasons at Northwestern.

McNamara is a proven winner at a high level though. The six-foot-one, 210-pounder has some leverage due to the fact that he’s no stranger to quarterback controversy, or grasping a new playbook.

“I’ve learned like three or four different offenses since I’ve been in College, so it’s nothing new for me,” the 24-year old said. “I think for the guys it’s awesome how much knowledge that our overall offense has gained over the last couple of months.”

The next two weeks will tell Iowa fans everything they need to know about McNamara’s transition into Lester’s offene. He’s currently No. 1 on the depth chart, but keeping the top spot is key. McNamara also needs to stay healthy, and being able to maneuver around in the pocket to keep plays alive should benefit him.

The new technology that’ll be used on the sidelines this fall intrigues McNamara, and he plans on utilizing it all. From being able to communicate with the coaches inside his own helmet before plays, to using of iPads and the installation of the two-minute warning will make College Football more exciting in McNamara’s eyes.

“That’s a game-changer, so it’s almost like an information overload, but on game day it makes communication that much clearer.”