Spring Preview: The Quarterbacks
A look at Iowa's football depth chart heading into spring practice, by position group. Breaking down the quarterbacks:
Gone
Nate Stanley quietly went about his business throughout his three seasons as Iowa's starter, and left as one of the top quarterbacks in school history.
Stanley went 27-12 as a starter, finishing second in career passing touchdowns (68), passing yards (8,302), completions (673) and pass attempts (1,155), and was third in total offense with 8,198 yards.
Stanley never lost a bowl game, leading Iowa to victories in the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl, the 2019 Outback Bowl and the 2019 Holiday Bowl, becoming only the second quarterback in school history to do that.
Stanley commanded the offense from his first start, and the occasional struggles early in his career never changed that.
Peyton Mansell, Stanley's backup in 2018, entered the NCAA's transfer portal after the season ended and went to Abilene Christian, an FCS school. Mansell was expected to compete for the starting job this spring.
Here
Spencer Petras was Stanley's backup last season, but he didn't see much playing time behind the durable senior.
Petras, a redshirt freshman, completed 6-of-10 passes for 25 yards in three games. He also had a rushing touchdown in the win over Middle Tennessee.
Petras threw for 7,193 yards in his junior and senior seasons at Marin Catholic High School in San Rafael, Calif.
Alex Padilla redshirted last season as a true freshman, was with the Hawkeyes for spring practice last year, so he has a full year in Iowa's system.
Padilla was a three-year captain at Cherry Creek High School in Colorado, throwing for 5,684 yards in four seasons. He has not taken a snap in a college game.
Coming in
Deuce Hogan finished his high school career as one of the top quarterback prospects in Texas, throwing for 8,192 yards and 100 touchdowns in his career. He went 36-11 as a four-year starter and a three-year captain at Faith Christian High School in Southlake, Texas.
Hogan was ranked as the No. 12 quarterback prospect nationally by Rivals.com, a four-star recruit.
Hogan won't join the Hawkeyes until the summer, but he has a chance to win the starting job.
The outlook
Coach Kirk Ferentz made it clear in his offseason press conference last month said that Petras was at the top of the list, but "he’s going to have to earn it every day. It’s like everyone on our roster right now — if you’re there, you got to keep it there."
Padilla will challenge in the spring, and Hogan's arrival in the summer will make this an interesting battle.
