Breaking down Iowa's quarterback options amid Tim Lester era beginning

Iowa made an offensive coordinator hire on Sunday, bringing in former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to run the offense. And how the Hawkeyes approach the quarterback position going forward will have an outsized impact on how things look.

For now, the obvious answer is Cade McNamara, the Michigan transfer who missed a bulk of 2023 with a torn ACL. But who is behind him is a question Hawkeye Report’s Tom Kakert has pondered, and he shared some of his insight with On3’s Andy Staples.

“That’s going to be one of the things to watch this spring, Andy, I think is — because Cade McNamara is going to be out,” Kakert said. “He’s coming back from an ACL tear, so that’s 7-on-7 at best, but I don’t even know they’ll do a lot with him out there. But, you’ve got a battle between Deacon Hill and Marco Lainez to be the backup.”

McNamara suffered his torn ACL on Sept. 30, 2023, meaning he’s almost exactly four months removed from the injury. That’s long enough to be moving on his own, but not nearly enough time for him to be a full participant in spring practice in a few months.

As such, Kakert thinks it might be a wise move to let Lainez get the majority of the reps with the starters in the spring, already knowing what 2023 backup and eventual starter Hill can do. And if neither of them seem to provide answers behind McNamara, a trip to the transfer portal could be in the cards for Lester and Kirk Ferentz.

“And if you can’t feel comfortable with Deacon Hill, and I’ve just suggested they go to Lainez for the backup position during spring ball and give him all the one reps, see what you’ve got there. Because you know what you have with Deacon Hill,” Kakert said. “You absolutely do with nine games of experience. You know what he’s capable of doing. So, and then if you’re not comfortable with what you have at quarterback, I think in the spring you look in the portal and you see what’s there and you see if you can find a backup. Or even somebody who could push Cade McNamara a little bit because, let’s be honest, Cade McNamara has been out basically the last two years with the exception of seven games in the last two seasons.” 

Staples wonders if Iowa couldn’t pursue someone who has some dual-threat ability to bring a more dynamic streak to the struggling unit.

“Tom, is there no one who can go to Kirk Ferentz and say, ‘Hey, do you remember Brad Banks and how good he was?'” Staples said. “Maybe try to find somebody who’s kind of like that, who can run around and throw. And CJ Beathard, to a lesser extent, could run. And it was a very good offense with CJ Beathard running it. I don’t understand why — is it because they can’t get someone who knows how to run or they chose not to?”

While it’s not likely Iowa goes that route, Kakert said, some of the younger quarterbacks Iowa has or is bringing in do have some fleeter feet than the current crop.

“I think it’s more of a choice, although they do have some guys coming in. Lainez is pretty mobile, you saw him running around a lot in the Citrus Bowl if you stuck ’til the end of that game and God bless you if you did, but he can move around a little bit. And then a guy coming in, James Resar, don’t expect him to play, but he’s a guy who’s run a 10.6 100. So he’s a guy who can come in and maybe has that mobility. But again, true freshman, really raw, don’t think he can come in and help them this year.”