It’s once again that time of the week to get excited about Cade McNamara and the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ transfer portal overhaul.
There are so many reasons to be excited about this upcoming Iowa football season, but most of that anticipation stems from new quarterback Cade McNamara. Once the former Michigan Wolverine entered his name into the transfer portal early into this past offseason, he was immediately linked to the Hawkeyes.
It all just made too much sense for both sides. Cade McNamara was looking for a high-quality program where he could immediately step in and start, while the Hawkeyes were looking for anyone who could remotely improve the passing attack. How bad was the passing attack you ask? Well, the baseball team just hit more batters in their loss against Indiana State than the football team had passing touchdowns all last season.
The national media has been paying attention to Iowa after their big offseason, finally utilizing the transfer portal to their advantage. CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli recently featured Cade McNamara in his latest look at the key transfers set to make a big impact immediately. He also writes that Iowa best exemplifies in the Big Ten how the transfer portal can radically change a program.
There isn’t a team in the Big Ten serving as a better example of how the transfer portal is changing the sport than Iowa. Last year, the Hawkeyes had one incoming transfer — a blocking tight end. This year, the Hawkeyes are overhauling their entire offense through the portal. While players like tight end Erick All and receiver Kaleb Brown will shine, it’s All’s former teammate at Michigan that will have the biggest impact.
Cade McNamara helped lead Michigan to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth in 2021. He lost his job to J.J. McCarthy last year, but he hopes to recapture the magic and have a similar impact in the Big Ten West. McNamara is a former four-star recruit who has played in 21 games and thrown for 3,181 yards in his career. He may not have NFL “juice,” but he’s the most proven and talented QB Iowa has had since C.J. Beathard. – Fornelli, CBS Sports.
That last statement pretty much sums it all up. While everyone in Iowa City would love for the Hawkeyes to produce the next Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, that isn’t a realistic expectation. At least not yet. Maybe someday that will happen, but after the recent struggles at the position, most fans will settle for simply solid play.
That’s exactly what the Hawkeyes look to get from Cade McNamara, a steady veteran to help get the ship back on track. McNamara may not have been the most dynamic player for the Wolverines, but he did guide Michigan to a Big Ten championship. The upward trajectory Michigan has enjoyed the past two seasons traces back to McNamara, too.
Remember back to that weird COVID-shortened 2020 season. Michigan looked extremely lost at 2-4. The calls for Harbaugh’s job were louder than ever. People thought that this was finally the downfall of Michigan football.
Even in that weird season, McNamara showed some signs that he could be a solid option, especially compared to how erratic the talented Joe Milton looked. With Cade at the helm, the Wolverines finally won the Big Ten Championship, kicking Iowa into the dirt in the process.
If the Hawkeyes can get that level of steady play from McNamara, just imagine what they can achieve.
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