Iowa football has ‘really gathered around’ Cade McNamara

McNamara believes Iowa’s offense has ‘a lot of talent’

IOWA CITY — Joe Evans was not quite sure what to think of Iowa’s new quarterback.

His first conversation with Cade McNamara, the Michigan transfer who arrived with much fanfare, “didn’t go great,” the veteran defensive lineman said last month.

“I don’t know if I really like this kid,“ Evans remembers thinking. “Who does he think he is?”

Evans expressed that sentiment to Iowa strength and conditioning director Raimond Braithwaite, who said to “give it some time.” Braithwaite was right.

“Two weeks later, we’re best friends,” Evans said.

McNamara has yet to throw his first touchdown pass at Kinnick Stadium or lead the Iowa football team on a game-winning drive, but his confidence in the 2023 Hawkeyes and leadership as a whole have been infectious, both in the locker room and across the fan base.

“Everyone’s really gathered around him, and just really excited to see what he’s going to do out on the field this year,” Evans said.

The new quarterback has instilled confidence “since Day One,” Evans said.

“Starting from the O-line to the running backs to the wide outs to the tight ends, we have a really good group,” McNamara said. “We have a lot of talent, and the thing that really stands out to me is the amount of effort that these guys give in practice and what they’re willing to do to get better.”

Iowa’s past offensive results obviously were not pretty — the Hawkeyes ranked 110th or worse in several key categories — but that does not sway McNamara’s belief in Iowa.

“If someone were trying to convince me to go to Michigan before I went to Michigan, Michigan hadn’t won a Big Ten championship in a while before I got there,” McNamara said. “So why would I make any kind of decision based on what some team has done in the past?”

McNamara’s addition also has energized a fan base that was increasingly frustrated over an offense that seemingly squandered opportunities set up by championship-level defense and special teams play.

Six of Iowa’s seven home games have sold out, with the Nov. 18 game against Illinois being the one exception. It is despite a noticeable drop in fan satisfaction last year — one noticeable enough that an internal Iowa Athletics presentation said it is “a trend that should be monitored.”

McNamara arrived after playing 21 games in four years at Michigan. He started all 14 games in the Wolverines’ 2021 run to the College Football Playoff, which included a 42-3 rout of McNamara’s future team in the Big Ten championship game.

McNamara completed 63 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his Michigan career.

Those are not quite Heisman-esque numbers — after all, McNamara lost the starting job in Ann Arbor to J.J. McCarthy — but they are a significant upgrade from what the Hawkeyes have seen in recent years.

Iowa quarterbacks have combined to throw 19 touchdowns versus 18 interceptions over the last two seasons.

The last time Iowa’s starting quarterback completed 60-plus percent of his passes was in 2015, when C.J. Beathard completed about 62 percent as he led the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten West title and Rose Bowl appearance.

Fall camp would have given McNamara some time to build chemistry with an offense that has several new faces — “Cade needs work with our team right now,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said last week — but McNamara’s injury threw a wrench in that plan.

He exited the Aug. 12 Kids’ Day open practice after suffering a non-contact injury on a scramble, but Ferentz said last week he was “really optimistic” about McNamara’s recovery.

“He’s a very positive guy and a very strong-willed,” Ferentz said. “Mental toughness really helps guys get back to the field faster. Some are more geared, wired that way than others, so that’s certainly not something he’s lacking.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com