Iowa Hawkeyes Unveil Major Offensive Change

The Iowa Hawkeyes have made a major change on the offensive side of the football before their Week 10 matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan (1) throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes have officially made a change at quarterback.

After Cade McNamara was benched in favor of Brendan Sullivan midway through Iowa's win over the Northwestern Wildcats this past Saturday, the Hawkeyes have decided to roll with Sullivan as their starter heading into next weekend's matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Iowa has released its depth chart ahead of Week 10, and Sullivan is No. 1 at the quarterback position. Marco Lainez is listed as the backup, via David Eickholt of 247 Sports.

So, McNamara is not even the No. 2 signal-caller at this point.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz did say that McNamara sustained an injury against Northwestern, but regardless, it appears that McNamara's days under center in Iowa City are over.

Sullivan went 9-for-14 with 79 yards while also carrying the ball eight times for 41 yards and a touchdown versus the Wildcats.

The 22-year-old—who actually transferred over from Northwestern after last year—took the field after McNamara threw a pick-six.

Iowa proceeded to outscore the Wildcats 37-7 after Sullivan entered the contest, resulting in a 40-14 win for the Hawkeyes.

Sullivan had very limited experience heading into 2024, as he threw a grand total of 195 passes at Northwestern. Last season, he posted 714 yards, six touchdowns and a couple of interceptions while completing 63.6 percent of his passes.

McNamara was a colossal disappointment for the Hawkeyes ever since transferring from Michigan in December 2022.

We'll see if Sullivan is able to provide Iowa with the spark it needs as it attempts to right the ship the rest of the way this season.