Iowa
No QB controversy at Iowa: Kirk Ferentz says Cade McNamara is the starter
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Kirk Ferentz declined to mention a transfer portal commitment’s name (cough, quarterback Brendan Sullivan, cough) and hinted at another (receiver Jacob Gill) in the fold just minutes before it became semi-official on social media. He had no problem mentioning how either player will help the Hawkeyes this fall.
But to ensure his message is not misconstrued after landing Sullivan, a former starter at Northwestern, Ferentz reiterated Cade McNamara is Iowa’s starting quarterback once he resumes full workouts.
“If he’s healthy, he’s our starter,” Ferentz said at the annual Polk County I-Club event. “There’s no delusion there, no misconception about that. And there’s no reason to think he won’t be healthy in August.
“Then if somebody beats him out, great.”
McNamara started five games last year for Iowa and completed just 51.1 percent of his passes for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He tore his left ACL on Sept. 30 and is still rehabbing the injury. During spring practice, McNamara took shuffle steps while dropping back in throwing routes but had no lateral movements and didn’t participate in team work.
After leading Michigan to the 2021 Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff berth, McNamara enrolled at Iowa in spring 2023. A right quad tear suffered last August during an open practice hindered his early-season development. It prevented him from practicing for the final two weeks of training camp, and about half of Iowa’s offensive playbook was dumped while he recovered.
“We expect him to be fully healthy,” Ferentz said. “He couldn’t participate this spring, but he was in tune mentally. And he’s an experienced guy — he’s going to be like, 28 now (actually 24 later this month) — so he’s been around for a while.”
Of Iowa’s three quarterbacks participating in spring drills, two opted for the transfer portal, including nine-game starter Deacon Hill. With only three scholarship QBs — a recovering McNamara, redshirt freshman Marco Lainez and incoming freshman James Resar — the Hawkeyes needed another quarterback. Last week, they landed Sullivan.
Sullivan, a junior who stands 6 feet 3 and weighs 225 pounds, started eight games the last two seasons at Northwestern and played in 12. He opened a pair of games against Iowa — both losses — and was 2-6 as a starter. But Sullivan completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns, five interceptions and 1,303 yards and won two starts last fall.
Very excited to get on campus as a Hawkeye and be a part of @IowaSwarm !! Feel free to donate https://t.co/R8n5Zeqk96
— Brendan Sullivan (@bsully02) May 10, 2024
Joining Sullivan at Iowa is Gill, who spent the last three seasons at Northwestern and has two remaining. The 6-foot, 190-pound Gill caught 16 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats. He played in only four games last year because of injuries. The Hawkeyes were depleted at receiver following spring practice, especially after sophomore Jacob Bostick transferred to Texas A&M.
“We obviously had the need at a couple of positions, and I think we’ve added two players that are going to be good additions to our team, and they’ll come in and compete,” Ferentz said. “They’re both older guys, which is a nice thing. There’s some advantages of having transfers, and I think they’re both good fits for our program. So given their specific positions, they’re going to hopefully add to the competition, and hopefully make us a better football team.
“I think anytime you can add players that maybe have experience in the conference, that’s a good thing.”
The Hawkeyes are up to 89 players on scholarship, although the program is not required to place the sixth-year returnees on full rides this fall. Iowa’s Swarm Collective could compensate those players for the value of a full scholarship.
Bluder appears at I-Club
Ferentz usually headlines the I-Club outings, but he shared the spotlight Tuesday with recently retired women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder. The winningest coach in Big Ten women’s basketball history, Bluder chose to participate in the event despite stepping down on Monday.
Bluder, 63, led the Hawkeyes to consecutive NCAA title game appearances. But in the five weeks after the tournament, she and her husband, David, took a vacation to Arizona and discussed their future. Bluder made several phone calls to coaching colleagues and believed this was the right time to step down.
“My son is going to be a senior at Grinnell College next year, and I get to see all of his games,” Bluder said. “I missed so many of my kids’ things, and it’s just time for me be able to give time to them fully.”
Iowa moved quickly on Bluder’s replacement, officially elevating associate head coach Jan Jensen 23 minutes after the announcement. Jensen spent 32 years alongside Bluder, plus playing one season for her at Drake.
“She has had opportunities and she’s turned them down to stay at the University of Iowa,” Bluder said. “That loyalty, you can’t replace that. Her love for the University of Iowa, being an Iowa girl, that is so important and that’s why she’s going to do so well because she’s so passionate about it.”
Bluder plans to travel while she and her husband are healthy enough to make trips, with Alaska as her preferred destination. It’s somewhat ironic because what she said she won’t miss about coaching are “the road trips.”
“I will miss the players and just the camaraderie of being a part of a team, being part of a coaching staff and a team,” Bluder said. “There’s nothing like that.”
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Tuesday, June 16, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 16 drawing
12-20-53-67-70, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from June 16 drawing
Midday: 4-2-6
Evening: 0-8-5
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from June 16 drawing
Midday: 1-5-4-3
Evening: 2-8-3-9
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 16 drawing
01-13-21-40-57, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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