Iowa QB McNamara confirms plan to return in '24

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara will return in 2024 after undergoing season-ending knee surgery, he confirmed Wednesday night on social media.

McNamara, a senior who sustained a torn ACL in his left knee Sept. 30 against Michigan State, wrote on X that 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.” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, in announcing McNamara’s season-ending injury Oct. 3, said McNamara’s intentions were to return in 2024.

The quarterback transferred from Michigan in December and started Iowa’s first five games, completing 46 of 90 passes for 505 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. McNamara, who helped Michigan to its first College Football Playoff appearance and a Big Ten title in 2021, is a fifth-year player who redshirted in 2019 at Michigan, but has an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Reno, Nevada, native has 3,686 career passing yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

In his X post, McNamara included a picture of himself after surgery and wrote that he looks forward to returning to Iowa City and supporting his teammates.

“The road ahead is a rigorous one but nothing I haven’t overcome before,” he wrote.

After starting for Michigan in 2021, McNamara competed with J.J. McCarthy for the top job early last season. McNamara sustained a right knee injury and underwent surgery in November 2022, shortly before transferring to Iowa. He missed part of spring practice with the Hawkeyes while recovering from the injury and part of preseason practice with a quad injury.

Deacon Hill replaced McNamara against Michigan State and has started ever since. Iowa added Marco Lainez, an ESPN three-star recruit in the 2023 class, and has a 2024 commitment from ESPN three-star recruit James Resar.