Iowa (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) closes its regular season with a rivalry date against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten).
As the Hawkeyes ready to battle for the Heroes Trophy, questions surrounding Iowa’s quarterback situation have permeated around the program over the past couple of weeks.
Iowa has been bitten by the injury bug at the game’s most important position. Graduate quarterback Cade McNamara suffered a concussion during Iowa’s 40-14 win over Northwestern on Oct. 26 and hasn’t played since.
Ahead of Iowa’s date at Maryland last week, rumors surfaced that perhaps McNamara had taken his final snap as a Hawkeye.
McNamara clarified his injury status on Friday of last week and called any rumors that his Iowa career was finished “ridiculous accusations and 100% false.”
The 6-foot-1, 210 pound quarterback from Reno, Nev., said he was targeting a Nebraska return and that he remained “a proud member of this football team.”
In Iowa’s initial depth chart versus Nebraska, neither McNamara or junior quarterback Brendan Sullivan were listed.
Instead, walk-on, redshirt sophomore Jackson Stratton is listed atop the depth chart and followed by redshirt freshman signal-caller Marco Lainez.
In Iowa’s depth chart vs Nebraska:
QB1: Jackson Stratton
QB2: Marco Lainez pic.twitter.com/6168KDd6Pe— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) November 25, 2024
History has indicated that an Iowa depth chart can be hit or miss at times. Just last week McNamara was listed atop the Hawkeyes’ depth chart before the University of Iowa clarified head coach Kirk Ferentz’s press conference remarks regarding McNamara’s health status.
After McNamara exited with his concussion versus Northwestern, Sullivan stepped in and provided a spark during that win over the Wildcats and in the Hawkeyes’ rout the following week of Wisconsin.
But, Sullivan exited with an ankle injury during Iowa’s 20-17 loss at UCLA on Nov. 9 and has been sidelined since.
Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore quarterback Marco Lainez was listed out beginning with Iowa’s date versus Wisconsin with a reported broken thumb. Lainez was cleared ahead of the Hawkeyes’ road trip last week to Maryland.
Walk-on, redshirt sophomore Jackson Stratton quarterbacked Iowa’s final two series at UCLA and started and helped direct the Hawkeyes to a 29-13 win at Maryland.
Stratton completed 10-of-14 passes for 76 yards against the Terps.
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