Iowa
Iowa football: Touted quarterback turned receiver James Resar to enter transfer portal
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IOWA CITY — Iowa football quarterback turned wide receiver James Resar will enter the transfer portal, he announced Thursday.
“I have filed my paperwork to enter the transfer portal,” Resar, a Florida native, posted via social media. “I will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.”
A member of Iowa’s 2024 recruiting class, Resar was regarded as an athletic, 3-star quarterback out of the Sunshine State, according to the 247Sports Composite. Resar originally committed to Iowa when Brian Ferentz was the offensive coordinator but still signed with the Hawkeyes even without knowing who the replacement would be.
“Kirk (Ferentz) told me, just continued to tell me how much he cared about us recruits and he would put us in the best position possible,” Resar told the Register earlier this year. “And I just had complete trust in coach Ferentz. So whoever he hired, I think will be great.”
Tim Lester was hired as Iowa’s new offensive coordinator.
Not long after his Iowa career began, Resar was moved from quarterback to wide receiver. But Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz also revealed that Resar sustained a non-contact knee injury after changing positions.
“We looked at things and kind of felt like that might be his best avenue to the field. He’s a good athlete, good-sized guy, and was doing a good job unfortunately until he got injured,” Ferentz said earlier this season.
Resar’s move to receiver continues Iowa’s instability at quarterback, a position group that has been underwhelming.
Cade McNamara announced his intention to enter the transfer portal earlier this week. That means Iowa has two scholarship quarterbacks currently on the roster entering the upcoming bowl game — Brendan Sullivan and Marco Lainez, both of whom have dealt with injuries this season but are now moving in the right direction. Preferred walk-on Jackson Stratton started the final two games of the regular season.
Iowa just signed two quarterbacks to its 2025 recruiting class — Jimmy Sullivan and preferred walk-on Ryan Fitzgerald. In terms of their quarterback pursuits in the transfer portal, Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday that the Hawkeyes would “be fools not to at least see what’s available and see what might be of interest — both ways.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com