ESPN gives final QB transfer grades for Iowa’s Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill
The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of the word tumultuous is pretty accurate when describing the quarterback situation for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023: very loud, or full of confusion, change or uncertainty.
It was very loud. There was a cacophony of commentary about the position’s play.
The quarterback room was also very full of confusion, change and uncertainty. Cade McNamara’s injury led to change, and the play of Deacon Hill led Iowa fans to confusion and uncertainty.
Both of the quarterbacks were brought into Iowa via the transfer portal. ESPN has provided its grades for every quarterback who transferred this past year. The Hawkeyes did not pass the test.
In their end-of-the-year grades, Deacon Hill graded out as a D quarterback.
Deacon Hill, Iowa Hawkeyes
Transferred from: Wisconsin
2023 stats: 1,152 passing yards, 5 TD passes, 8 interceptions, 2 rushing TDs
Midseason grade: Incomplete
Final analysis: Hill had a surprisingly significant role, as he took over as Iowa’s starter after Cade McNamara’s injury and helped the team to a Big Ten West Division title and 10 regular-season wins. Like all members of Iowa’s offense, Hill had some difficult moments, as the team didn’t score against Michigan or Tennessee in its final two games, and he fell shy of 100 passing yards in four starts. Hill had efficient performances in wins over Northwestern, Rutgers and Illinois, but the consistency and tangible improvement didn’t show up down the stretch. – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Hill struggled all year. He often overthrew receivers and had a head-scratching tendency for turnovers, something Kirk Ferentz hates. Overall, Hill entered a very hard situation and didn’t see much success.
Cade McNamara fell into the “incomplete” category of the grades due to his injury, although he was a D-plus grade at midseason.
Cade McNamara, Iowa Hawkeyes
Transferred from: Michigan
2023 stats: 505 passing yards, 4 TD passes, 3 interceptions
Midseason grade: D-plus
Final analysis: Unfortunately, McNamara’s evaluation hasn’t changed much from the first one, as an ACL tear Sept. 30 against Michigan State ended his season. He hadn’t made the immediate impact Iowa had hoped, completing only 51.1% of his passes with just 42 passing yards against Penn State in his final full game before the injury. He didn’t complete better than 56.7% of his passes in any full game. Iowa’s offensive woes went way beyond McNamara, as other key injuries and the lack of development at certain positions led to more historically low production. But McNamara will be looking for better health and overall play in 2024. – Rittenberg, ESPN
McNamara’s injury limited him to less than half of the season rendering him a tough quarterback to fairly grade. That said, he was not trending toward a passing grade based on the play we did see.
McNamara is slated to be the starter in 2024 if he recovers fully and properly from his ACL tear. McNamara will be paired with a new offensive coordinator, but will need to dramatically improve.
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