Iowa Hawkeyes QB Cade McNamara Finalizes Transfer Destination

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara has decided where to play his next chapter.
Oct 12, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) throws a pass against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium.
Oct 12, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) throws a pass against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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The Iowa Hawkeyes opened up the 2024 college football season with strong belief in quarterback Cade McNamara. However, that confidence did not last long and McNamara ended up struggling mightily.

Kirk Ferentz finally made the tough decision to move on from McNamara as his starter. Brendan Sullivan and Jackson Stratton both got starting opportunities late in the season.

When was said and done in 2024, McNamara ended up completing 60.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He made very little impact on the game with his production.

Following the season, McNamara made his intentions clear. He entered the transfer portal searching for a new team to finish ou this college career with.

As shared by Chris Hummer of 247 Sports, McNamara has now made that decision. He has decided to transfer to East Tennessee State.

This is obviously a step down for McNamara, but it might be exactly what he needs. Finishing out his career strong is his goal and he should be able to find success at East Tennessee State.

Iowa fans are not going to be sad to see him playing elsewhere. He became a major source of frustration within the fan base.

By the time Ferentz decided to make a change at quarterback, fans had already been calling for McNamara to be benched. He played a poor season and the fans were very unhappy.

Looking ahead to the 2025 season for the Hawkeyes, Sullivan, Mark Gronowski, and Hank Brown will be battling for playing time. Stratton will also be in the mix.

Thankfully, Iowa is in a much better place at quarterback head into the 2025 season than it was heading into 2024. Unfortunately, they did lose star running back Kaleb Johnson to the NFL.

Hopefully, the Hawkeyes can get back on track in 2025. They were far from being a contender this season.

No one will be expecting them to be a College Football Playoff team, but Iowa should be better than an eight-win team.


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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.