IOWA CITY — The depth chart for Iowa, released on Monday, lists Cade McNamara as the starting quarterback for their upcoming game against Maryland on Saturday. Marco Lainez, who began the season as Iowa’s third-string quarterback, might be available this weekend after recovering from a broken thumb he suffered during practice a few weeks ago.
However, if the Hawkeyes had to face the Terrapins today, fourth-stringer and former scout-team linebacker Jackson Stratton would take the helm as the starter.
“I wrote the depth chart on Sunday,” Kirk Ferentz mentioned during his media availability on Tuesday. “Cade practiced on Sunday, but everything is a bit unclear right now. That seems to be our current situation. We’ll take it day by day and see who is ready to play.”
At this point, the tentative plan suggests that Stratton will get the start.
“I expect Jackson to start,” Ferentz said. “We’ll begin as we finished against UCLA. That’s my view. We’ll assess who can contribute. If the game were tomorrow, that’s how it would play out.”
Ferentz added that “everyone else has a chance aside from Brendan.”
McNamara, who practiced on Sunday, seems to be the most likely to play among him and Lainez.
“[Cade] is still working his way back,” Ferentz noted. “He has been cleared to play, but we’ll have to see if he can perform effectively. We’ll see how the week unfolds; we are prepared for anything, to be honest.”
The situation remains uncertain.
With Stratton named as the starting quarterback, Ferentz expressed that he feels “a hell of a lot more comfortable” relying on the Colorado State transfer compared to the situation against UCLA.
“I thought he showed some positive moments in that last game,” Ferentz noted about Jackson. “He has talent and can throw the football, as you all saw.”
Ferentz joked with Stratton on Tuesday morning, reminding him that when he joined the team as a walk-on this summer, the former three-star prospect and Washington commit probably didn’t expect to be playing in Pasadena at the start of the 2024 season.
“I teased him, asking, ‘Did you ever think you’d be playing in the Rose Bowl this year?'” Ferentz recalled. “He had to admit that seemed pretty far-fetched.”
After experiencing a few tough snaps against the Bruins, Stratton entered the bye week with the opportunity to gain much-needed practice with the starting team, and he will get even more this week as they prepare.
“Fortunately, we have this bye week to help him get more comfortable and educated in the offense,” Ferentz said. “If he becomes our quarterback, we’ll work on creating a game plan that plays to his strengths, keeps him out of risky situations, and avoids putting too much pressure on him if he’s not ready for complex plays.”
Iowa’s head coach mentioned that the challenges the team faced last year, when they rallied around untested transfer Deacon Hill as their starter, might benefit them in their current circumstances.
“If there’s a silver lining, it’s that we went through a similar situation last year and managed to come out alright,” he stated. “You have to work with the cards you’re dealt and play them wisely. We’re uncertain about how things will unfold, but we’ll have a clearer picture as the week progresses.”
“We’re going to go for it. No matter who is in the game, we’re going to let it rip.”
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