All eyes will be focused under center for the Hawkeyes this Fall with big changes coming. It’s a quarterback room that looks very different compared to what it was at the end of last season. Spencer Petras will complete his career at Iowa as a player-coach this season, out for the year rehabbing a shoulder injury. Alex Padilla transferred to SMU, and Carson May left for Wyoming. Cade McNamara transferred to Iowa last December and proved to be the first domino to fall in the offseason of transfer portal acquisitions for the Hawkeyes.
Cade McNamara
Inside Lucas Oil Stadium almost two years ago, McNamara led the 2021 Michigan team to their first outright Big Ten title in the 21st century. He beat Iowa by 39 points, leading the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff. A competitive quarterback room and ultimately a knee injury last fall had McNamara out for the majority of the season. He entered the transfer portal with eyes on Iowa given his relationship with former Wisconsin quarterbacks coach, and current Iowa offensive analyst, Jon Budmayr.
Through the Spring, Summer, and now into the Fall, McNamara has been nothing short of a tremendous leader. In early summer, McNamara invited many of his teammates to California to train with Jordan Palmer, a coach who he has worked with since the 8th grade. The trip included training, extra reps, and a chemistry-building experience for the new offense in Iowa City.
This Fall, Iowa will have a very veteran quarterback stepping onto the field who has spent less than a year in the program. It’s a very new process for a program that traditionally develops quarterbacks over many years. This time, the leadership and development are already in place with McNamara. It’s now about building the chemistry within the offense, which has clearly made great strides already.
Joe Labas
Listed as the second-string quarterback is redshirt sophomore Joe Labas. He led the Hawkeyes to a bowl game victory on New Year’s Eve against Kentucky after never having taken a college football snap prior to that appearance. He threw a touchdown pass and 139 yards on ten completions.
This Spring, Labas was also listed as the number two and took most of his snaps with the reserves. He threw a 48-yard touchdown and showed great accuracy on a 25-yard pass to Graham Friedrichsen in a tight window. Labas’ solid spring outing and his game experience, though limited, have helped solidify him in the number two spot at this point.
Deacon Hill
Iowa wasn’t done after McNamara made his commitment from the transfer portal, they also landed Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill. Like Labas, Hill is a class of 2021 guy with very limited experience. Hill appeared in one game for the Badgers in 2022 after redshirting his first season. He did not have any stats, but one of his biggest attributes is the size he brings to the position. At 6’-3” and just under 260 pounds, Hill is built more like a fullback than a quarterback.
His size is far from a disadvantage, however. In the Spring session, Hill threw the ball very well, taking many of his snaps in 11-on-11 drills with the first team in place of McNamara. Hill tossed a long touchdown pass to tight end Addison Ostrenga, and showed no concerning signs of inaccuracy, delivering the ball very well. He’s listed as the team’s third-string quarterback entering fall camp. However, it would not be surprising to see him push the envelope to earn the backup slot this fall. Hill’s physicality at the position can be advantageous in standing tall through arm tackles and pushing the pile on quarterback sneaks.
Depth in the Iowa Quarterbacks Room
Looking deeper on the depth chart, Iowa has a couple of true freshmen. Marco Lainez III was a three-star recruit in the class of 2023 from New Jersey. Lainez is a 6-2 quarterback who has a unique skill set that includes the ability to extend plays. He is not listed as a true dual threat but has the maneuverability in the pocket to extend plays and still deliver the ball accurately. The arm strength isn’t quite that of what Petras had, but he makes up for it with escapability and accuracy. As the quarterback position evolves, Iowa has started to recruit the type of player that can be versatile, and Lainez is that guy.
Another true freshman on this roster is Colorado native Tommy Poholsky. He joined the roster as a preferred walk-on in the class of 2023. As a senior at Evergreen High School, Poholsky threw 37 touchdowns and 2,622 yards with just six interceptions. He and Laniez are the future of the quarterback room in Iowa City, and have a great opportunity to develop under a former Big Ten Champion quarterback in McNamara.
Photo courtesy: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
