Iowa QB Cade McNamara to enter transfer portal after two seasons with Hawkeyes

Cade McNamara is looking for a third school to continue his college football career.

The former Michigan and Iowa QB announced Wednesday that he was entering the transfer portal after two seasons with the Hawkeyes. He’ll have one season of eligibility remaining thanks to having an extra year of eligibility from the COVID-impacted 2020 season and a redshirt from playing fewer than four games two seasons later.

McNamara opened the 2023 season as Iowa’s starting quarterback but suffered a season-ending ACL tear five games into the season. He recovered in time to be Iowa’s Week 1 starter again but suffered a concussion against Northwestern on Oct. 26. He hasn’t played for the Hawkeyes since as Brendan Sullivan — a transfer from Northwestern — has taken over as Iowa’s top quarterback.

McNamara came to Iowa after three seasons with the Wolverines. After playing in 14 games in 2021, McNamara appeared in three in 2022 as he lost his starting job to JJ McCarthy.

That 2021 season was McNamara’s best over his five seasons of college football. He was 210-of-327 passing for 2,576 yards and 15 TDs with just six interceptions. In 13 games at Iowa, McNamara was 150-of-262 passing for 1,522 yards and 10 TDs with eight interceptions. His final pass with the Hawkeyes was a pick-6 and he committed three turnovers in Iowa’s loss to Ohio State with an interception and two fumbles.

It was a disappointing two years for both McNamara and Iowa after the school broke NCAA rules during his recruitment. Kirk Ferentz and an assistant coach both served a self-imposed one-game suspension at the start of the 2024 season for improperly contacting McNamara while he was at Michigan before the transfer portal had opened.