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Iowa QB battle: Brendan Sullivan listed as starter, Cade McNamara not on depth chart

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly•10/28/24•

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Cade and Sullivan
Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan (Photo: Dennis Scheidt)

There is a notable absence on the Iowa depth chart ahead of this weekend’s game against Wisconsin. Quarterback Cade McNamara is not on the depth chart, while Brendan Sullivan is listed as the starter.

Marco Lainez, who has yet to appear in a game, is listed as the backup behind Sullivan.

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Cade McNamara, who started his career at Michigan before transferring to Iowa, has started every game for the Hawkeyes so far this season. However, he was replaced by Brendan Sullivan during the first half of Saturday’s game against Northwestern.

Sullivan led Iowa to a 40-14 win, while making plays with his arm and legs.

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Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was asked after the win over Northwestern if Sullivan would remain the permanent starting quarterback.

“‘Permanent’ is a strong word, right?” Ferentz said. “We made the decision during the week we were going to rotate Brendan in a little bit on the third or fourth series. It just worked out that way. He did a really nice job. Cade was shaken up also after the hit he took.”

It is unclear if McNamara’s absence from the Iowa depth chart ahead of the Wisconsin game is due to him being shaken up or something else.

Sullivan finished the game 9 of 14 for 79 passing yards to go along with eight carries for 41 yards and an additional touchdown. He was the team’s second-leading rusher on the day.

It was a bit of a change for the Hawkeyes as McNamara, who is a pocket passer, has -73 career rushing yards (sack adjusted).

“That’s a clear contrast,” Ferentz said of Sullivan’s dual-threat abilities. “I think that’s one of Brendan’s strengths. He’s a really good athlete, really good at that. The other thing is he commanded the game. No matter what your style is as a quarterback, you have to do that. It was a good outing. I think we got into a little flow in the second half. That was certainly encouraging.

“There’s give-and-take with everything you do. Happy with the way he stepped in. Played with great poise. Didn’t think about it too much. Playing against his former team, you always worry about emotions a little bit. Didn’t worry too much about it. Didn’t seem to be a factor either.”