For the second week in a row, Jackson Stratton owns the backup quarterback duties for the Iowa Hawkeyes due to some injuries and a rather thin quarterback room.
With Brendan Sullivan retaining the starting job, Stratton is the next man up with Cade McNamara remaining sidelined due to a concussion and Marco Lainez’s broken thumb.
In his weekly press conference, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz talked about how Stratton has looked, how he ended up at Iowa, and his confidence in him if called upon.
“Yeah, that’s a great question right there. It’s still interesting how guys get here sometimes. I’ve said that about Hayden Large. Tim was out there checking out some quarterbacks back in the spring and stopped by in San Diego and saw Jackson. He had played for Colorado State last year, was there and looking to go somewhere else.
It’s funny how it worked out, but he ended up coming. Had his mom and dad here when we had a luncheon for all the newcomers in August, and great people. None of us envisioned this happening, but he impressed us in camp. He can throw the ball really well.
But then you kind of start getting in game mode and all that kind of stuff, so we really didn’t see him much. I thought he did a really good job last week. End of the week, I think maybe it started — reality dawned on him a little bit, like oh, I could be in there. I think all of us are trying not to think too hard about that right now.
But if he goes in, he’s practiced well this week, he’s really learning, and he’s a very capable thrower. That’s his strength, and we’ll see what happens. But hopefully we just kind of keep the status quo and just keep moving. But he’s done a good job,” Ferentz said of Stratton’s path to Iowa and his work lately.
Jackson Stratton still has yet to register a snap with Iowa, but the transfer from Colorado State is ready should he be needed.
Standing at 6-foot-4, the California native is an imposing figure who threw for over 4,400 yards and 52 touchdowns in high school.
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