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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara is questionable for Saturday’s season opener against Utah State despite returning to practice from a right leg injury.
McNamara, the Michigan transfer projected to start for Iowa, sustained the injury Aug. 13 after an awkward fall on a scramble. He returned to practice last week in a limited capacity and is medically cleared, coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday. Ferentz described McNamara’s injury as a “soft-tissue” strain.
“The thing we have to judge as we go along is how effective can he be?” Ferentz said. “Can he go out and perform in a way that is representative of the kind of player he is? It’s kind of day by day. We’d obviously love to have him out there, but we also want to make sure he can perform at a high level.”
McNamara, who started for Michigan during the team’s Big Ten championship season in 2021, was limited in spring practice following knee surgery for an injury he sustained early in the 2022 season. He transferred from Michigan to Iowa in December.
“I’m progressing every single, I’m feeling a lot better,” McNamara told reporters Tuesday. “I’m just really excited to get out there with my teammates. … That decision [to play] is really going to come down to the coaches and the medical staff.”
If McNamara cannot play, Iowa likely will start Deacon Hill, a transfer from Wisconsin. Hill appeared in one game last season for the Badgers but did not attempt a pass.
McNamara went 13-3 as Michigan’s starter and had 2,576 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions during the 2021 season.