After tearing his ACL during his team’s win over Michigan State on Sept. 30, which effectively ended his 2023 campaign, Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara has officially decided on his future.
Taking to social media, McNamara announced his intention to return for his sixth season of college football in 2024. He also offered a statement in his decision to return to the Big Ten program for another go-round.
“Was not anticipating posting one of these when this year began however, there are some things in life that can not be explained but the best we can do is put our faith in God and follow the path that he has chosen for us,” McNamara wrote on Instagram.
“I want to thank everyone for all the love and support. The road ahead is a rigorous one but nothing I haven’t overcome before. I can’t wait to get back to Iowa City to support my teammates for the rest of this season! I had a vision when I decided to come to Iowa and that vision remains the same. There is still a lot I want to accomplish in the Black and Gold and look forward to bringing it to life in the 2024 season.”
The quarterback started his career at Michigan and helped the Wolverines reach their first College Football Playoff in 2021 when he threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns. He lost the starting job to JJ McCarthy following the first game of the 2022 season and appeared sparingly as a backup before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Michigan’s game against UConn. McNamara entered the transfer portal following Michigan’s regular-season finale.
McNamara had also suffered an injury to his right quad in practice in August on another non-contact injury but was cleared for Iowa’s season opener and had been navigating through the injury. Prior to suffering a non-contact knee injury, McNamara completed 46-of-90 pass attempts (51 percent) for 505 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts.
The senior quarterback led the Hawkeyes to a 4-1 record, as the team was averaging 22.2 points per game in the process. Since McNamara went down with his season-ending injury, the Hawkeyes have managed to average just 15 points per game with backup quarterback Deacon Hill under center.
While he had yet to make an official announcement, McNamara’s decision to return to Iowa City doesn’t exactly come as a surprise.
Iowa's Swarm Collective CEO Brad Heinrichs said on @KXnOMorningRush that he spoke with Cade McNamara and his father yesterday.
Cade will be returning to the #Hawkeyes next season.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) October 3, 2023
But now, McNamara has made it all but official.
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