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Kirk Ferentz: Iowa football’s offense ‘starting to click a little bit’ as season nears

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Kirk Ferentz: Iowa football’s offense ‘starting to click a little bit’ as season nears


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IOWA CITY — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz didn’t definitively announce a starting quarterback Thursday for the Aug. 31 season opener against Illinois State. He did, however, offer what the current pecking order would look like if Iowa were playing this week:

  1. Cade McNamara
  2. Brendan Sullivan
  3. Marco Lainez

That’s on par with what has largely been expected. 

The quarterbacks’ performance during the Aug. 10 Kids Day at Kinnick open practice stirred some concern externally, particularly about McNamara, who struggled mightily. But Ferentz sounded optimistic about what he has seen recently. 

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“There’s been some back and forth, some ups and downs, those types of things,” Ferentz said Thursday. “But both guys this week have just looked more comfortable and they’ve done a lot of good things. Cade’s done a really nice job. I think he’s had a really good week. And I think Brendan’s done the same thing.”

More: If Iowa football has resilience of 2023, Kirk Ferentz suspension could be minor hiccup

The last two years have been tumultuous for McNamara, who suffered consecutive season-ending knee injuries. He has appeared in just eight games combined over the last two seasons, so there are bound to be bumps on the road as he gets set for the 2024 season. The hope is that leads to results in the end.

“It’s just good to see him the last couple days look more relaxed,” Ferentz said. “He wasn’t pressing, trying to force things and things like that. And I’m no expert on quarterback play but I know you can’t do that stuff. And it’s the first time I’ve seen him, stand there on the field with him, where he looked like he’s more comfortable. And just maybe a little bit more feeling better about his whole world, if you will.”

Ferentz said both McNamara and Sullivan have been getting reps with the first-team offense, indicating there isn’t a wide gap between the two. Ferentz was asked on Thursday if Iowa would consider going into a game with a plan of using both.

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“We’ll consider anything,” Ferentz said. “The game plan would probably look a little different for either guy … Our preference is to have a 1, 2, 3. We’ll see how that shakes out. But we’re gonna keep an open mind all season long about our entire football team.”

Around this time last year, Iowa’s quarterback room was not in a great place, something that became brutally clear as the season went on. But now with the health of McNamara, the addition of Sullivan and the development of Lainez, it seems to be trending upward.

“The big takeaway is we’re much healthier at that position in terms of game experience, depth, those types of things,” Ferentz said. “And Marco’s doing a good job, too.”

Seeing growth on offense

Despite the fact that Thursday was marred with talk about recruiting violations and suspensions, Ferentz shared a fair amount of promising updates. Ferentz seemed encouraged by what he’s seen as the Aug. 31 season opener rapidly approaches, notably pertaining to development on offense under new coordinator Tim Lester.

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“I actually think things are maybe starting to click a little bit,” Ferentz said. “We’ve pushed past the ‘We’re in camp’ mode and seeing some cleaner execution. Defensively, we’ve got a lot of veteran presence there. Offensively this is all new. And I think it’s starting to click a little bit for them. 

“We’re gonna have some ups and downs when we start playing competitively. But I think we’re making progress and the guys have been nothing but willing and anxious to learn. Most importantly, they’re demonstrating that it’s starting to resonate a little bit with them.”

More: Leistikow: A day of remorse for Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, who owns up to recruiting mistake

Beyond the quarterback position, wide receiver is another question mark on offense. On top of that, Kaleb Brown will miss the season opener against Illinois State as punishment for a June arrest on charges of OWI and possession of a fictitious license, ID card or form. Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr is also suspended for the game, along with Ferentz, due to a potential recruiting violation.

Still, Ferentz has continued to talk up the wide receiver unit. It’s somewhat surprising given the struggles of that group over the past few seasons, coupled with the fact that they are young and unproven entering this campaign.

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“I’m really optimistic about that group,” Ferentz said. “I don’t know what it’s gonna look like here the first couple of weeks, literally like who’s gonna be playing or how much, that type of stuff. But I think the potential right now for growth in that room and the potential for that becoming a really productive unit, I think it’s there for us.”

One name Ferentz spoke at length about was receiver Jacob Gill. The Northwestern transfer didn’t come in with eye-popping numbers, but apparently he has carved out a niche on the offense leading up to the season.

“He’s been really just a great addition,” Ferentz said of Gill. “The (transfer) portal’s an interesting place. We don’t live there full-speed. But we thought he’d be a guy that could maybe help our football team, and he’s just been a great addition. Really focused, really mature. He’s got a veteran presence and really workmanlike the way he goes about what he does, how he practices, how he prepares, everything about him in this building. Really exemplary and not a loud demeanor, but just shows up every day and really performs. So he’s been a really good influence on a very young group.”

A couple other areas of note are depth on the offensive and defensive lines. On the O-line, Ferentz mentioned Tyler Elsbury and Nick DeJong as players not expected to start who could add quality depth. On the defensive line, which arguably has bigger holes to fill, Ferentz pointed to Max Llewellyn, Brian Allen and Jeremiah Pittman as reserves who could play key roles.

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Other notes

  • Leshon Williams has returned to practice, though he is being limited in terms of volume. Coming off the best season of his college career, the running back has missed time leading up to the 2024 campaign with an injury but now seems to be trending in the right direction. “He made a really nice blitz pick-up coincidentally (Thursday) morning, which allowed us to have a good completion on a play,” Ferentz said of Williams. “So he’s been paying attention, he’s been doing a good job. Hopefully he’ll be good to go.”
  • Koen Entringer, expected to be one of Iowa’s top reserves at safety, has been back at practice after missing a significant amount of time due to injury (defensive coordinator Phil Parker already confirmed such earlier in the week): “He looks like he’s fully healthy out there and he is,” Ferentz said of Entringer.
  • Redshirt freshman running back Kamari Moulton suffered what seems to be a minor leg injury. Ferentz is hopeful that Moulton will return soon.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com





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Iowa

No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68

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March 6, 2026

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No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68


IOWA CITY, Iowa — IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.

Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.

Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.

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The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.

Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.

Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.

Michigan had a 38-25 rebounding edge on the Hawkeyes.

The game was tied at 30 at halftime. Michigan shot 50% from the field, but committed 12 turnovers that Iowa turned into 16 points.

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The Hawkeyes were 11 of 31 from the field, with Stirtz especially struggling to make shots. Stirtz, Iowa’s leading scorer this season, made just one of his first nine shots, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 27-second span to give Iowa a 30-28 lead.

Up next

Michigan: Hosts No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday.

Iowa: At No. 9 Nebraska on Sunday.



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Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

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March 5, 2026

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Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship


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March 5, 2026

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

March 5, 2026

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Kylie Welker chats with NCAA Digital’s Sophie Starkey about the success of Iowa women’s wrestling and the possibility of winning the inaugural NCAA sanctioned championship.



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Iowa House OKs ‘3 strikes’ bill with 20-year prison terms. What to know

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March 5, 2026

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Iowa House OKs ‘3 strikes’ bill with 20-year prison terms. What to know


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  • Iowans who commit multiple serious crimes would face a mandatory 20-year prison sentence under a “three strikes” bill passed by House lawmakers.
  • Republicans said the bill would keep Iowans safe and “prioritize victims and public safety over criminals.”
  • A nonpartisan state agency says the bill would disproportionately impact Black Iowans and could require the state to spend millions to build a new prison.

Repeat offenders convicted of multiple serious crimes would receive a mandatory 20-year prison sentence under a bill passed by House lawmakers.

House lawmakers debated for more than an hour about high costs, lack of prison space and the bill’s impact on Black Iowans before voting 68-23 to pass House File 2542, sending it to the Iowa Senate.

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Seven Democrats, including Minority Leader Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill.

“It will put public safety first,” said the bill’s floor manager, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison. “It will ensure that the debt to victims and society is paid. It will prioritize victims and public safety over criminals. It will establish real and effective deterrence that is nonexistent in our current system. It will reduce chaos and violence in our society.”

Here’s what to know about the bill.

What would the House Republican three strikes bill do?

Iowans who accumulate three strikes would face a mandatory 20-year prison sentence, with no parole, under the bill.

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That would replace Iowa’s current law that says habitual offenders must serve a minimum three-year prison sentence before they are eligible for parole.

All felonies, as well as aggravated misdemeanors involving sexual abuse, domestic abuse, assault and organized retail theft would be considered level-one offenses that are worth one full strike.

Other aggravated misdemeanors, as well as serious misdemeanors involving assault, domestic abuse and criminal mischief would be considered level-two offenses worth half a strike each.

Lawmakers amended the bill to remove theft, harassment and possession of a controlled substance from the crimes that would count toward a person’s strikes.

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And the amendment specifies that the bill would only apply to convictions that occur beginning July 1, 2026.

If someone is arrested and convicted of multiple offenses, only the most serious charge would count towards the defendant’s strikes.

Convictions would not count toward someone’s total if more than 20 years passes between a prior conviction and their current conviction.

Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to say that only a violent crime would qualify as someone’s third strike, but Republicans rejected the amendment.

“The bill still scores murder, felony embezzlement and felony theft the same, even though they are very different crimes,” Wilburn said. “One point is one point and three gets you 20 years with no ability for parole or judicial discretion.”

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Holt said the legislation leaves room for judicial and prosecutorial discretion.

“There are deferred sentences, there are plea bargains,” he said. “There is plenty of opportunity for grace and judicial discretion in the legislation that we are proposing.”

Bill could cost millions, require Iowa to build a new prison, agency says

A fiscal analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said it could cost Iowa nearly $165 million more per year by 2031 based on the cost of housing inmates for longer prison stays.

  • FY 2027: $33 million
  • FY 2028: $66 million
  • FY 2029: $99 million
  • FY 2030: $132 million
  • FY 2031: $164.9 million

The agency said if the bill had been in effect between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2025, there would have been 5,373 people who qualified for the 20-year mandatory minimum sentence.

“An increase in the prison population due to increased (length of stay) will require the DOC to build additional prison(s),” the agency states. “The size, security and other features that a future prison may require cannot be determined, but costs would be significant.”

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The analysis noted that South Dakota appropriated $650 million last fall to build a 1,500-bed prison.

As of March 1, the Iowa Department of Corrections’ website describes the state’s prison system as being overcrowded by 25%, with 8,705 inmates compared to a capacity of 6,990.

The Office of the State Public Defender could see a projected cost increase of $1.6 million due to an increased number of trials resulting from the legislation.

But the agency’s estimates come with a caveat — the Department of Corrections did not respond to its requests for data.

“The LSA has not received a response to multiple requests for information from the DOC,” the note states. “Without additional information, the LSA cannot estimate the total fiscal impact of the bill.”

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Holt called the fiscal note “an embarrassment to the Department of Corrections” and “an agenda masquerading as math.”

“It is clear, in my judgment, that because they did not like the legislation they went all out and extreme to create a fiscal note that cannot be taken seriously in its assumptions,” he said. “It assumes that nothing will change, that there will be no deterrent factor and that the numbers will continue as usual.”

Black Iowans would be disproportionately impacted by the law

The Legislative Services Agency analysis says the bill “may disproportionately impact Black individuals if trends remain constant.”

Of the 29,438 people convicted in fiscal year 2025 of felonies and aggravated misdemeanors that constitute a level one offense under the bill, the agency said about 70% were White, 22% were Black and 9% were other races.

Iowa’s overall population is 83% White, 4% Black and 13% other races, the agency said.

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It’s not clear how the bill’s impact would change to account for the House amendment removing some crimes from counting towards the three strikes.

“Expanding three-strike laws will intensify disparities — and that’s what this statement shows — by mandating longer sentences, limiting judicial discretion,” Wilburn said. “We already have a habitual offender statute. We already have one in place. We have a 10-year low in recidivism in our correctional system.”

Rep. Angel Ramirez, D-Cedar Rapids, said California’s three strikes law, passed in the 1990s, worsened racial disparities, and “Iowa is about to repeat the same mistake.”

“I urge every member here, do not pass legislation that our own minority impact statement tells us will deepen inequality in our state,” Ramirez said.

Holt said minority communities in Iowa are impacted by crime and that the legislation “will make citizens of all colors safer.”

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And he said the minority impact statement “tells only one side of the story, doesn’t it? It tells the criminal’s story. What about the victim’s story?”

“What about the mother who will continue to tuck her kids in at night and read them Bible stories because she never became the next victim of a violent career criminal?” he said. “Where is that data point in the minority impact statement?”

House lawmakers also approved separate legislation that would increase Iowa’s statewide bond schedule, Senate File 2399.

That bill passed on a vote of 74-19.

Iowans could see more information on judges’ rulings

Iowans would have access to more information about judges’ rulings ahead of the state’s judicial retention elections under a separate measure, House File 2719, which passed on a 73-19 vote.

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The Iowa secretary of state’s office would be required to publish information including:

  • The percentage of cases in which the judge set a bond amount lower than the state’s bond schedule
  • The frequency that the judge releases someone on their own recognizance for a violent offense compared to a nonviolent offense
  • The frequency that the judge’s final sentence is lower than statutory recommendations or a prosecutor’s recommendations
  • The number of times the judge issues a deferred judgement, deferred sentence or suspended sentence
  • The number of times the judge’s rulings are reversed on appeal due to abuse of discretion or error of law
  • The average time it takes the judge to rule on a motion or case
  • The number of cases the judge has resolved compared to the number of cases on the judge’s docket

The data would have to be displayed with a five-year trend line beginning five years after the bill takes effect.

The Secretary of State’s Office would also be required to maintain a searchable database of all judicial opinions and orders for the judge’s current term and the preceding six years. The decisions would be redacted when appropriate.

And judges would have the opportunity to write a 2,000-word personal statement on their judicial philosophy or data trends present in their rulings.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.





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