6 Iowa quarterbacks transferred since 2021. How many improved their outcomes?

IOWA CITY — When Deacon Hill suits up for the 2024 college football season, he will be surrounded by some much different scenery, literally and figuratively.

Literally, the mountains accenting the skyline of St. George, Utah, make for quite the contrast from Iowa City. Figuratively, FCS-level Utah Tech holds a much different place in the college football landscape than FBS Power Five-level Iowa.

Hill’s journey this spring — he announced his commitment to Utah Tech over the weekend — marks a continuation of a trend for Iowa quarterbacks in recent years.

Six scholarship quarterbacks from Iowa have entered the transfer portal since the 2021 season. All six had three-star ratings or better from 247Sports as high school recruits. None of the six remained Power Five scholarship quarterbacks when they found their new homes.

Where ex-Iowa QBs have gone

Half of Iowa’s quarterback departures remained on scholarship, but at less prestigious FBS Group of Five programs — Spencer Petras to Utah State, Joe Labas to Central Michigan and Alex Padilla to SMU. (SMU will become a Power Five institution later this year, however, when it joins the ACC.)

Carson May — the former three-star recruit who entered the portal after the 2022 season — transferred to Coffeyville Community College before eventually finding a home at Wyoming. (He is in the portal again this spring after one year at Wyoming.)

Deuce Hogan, who transferred after the 2021 season, landed at Kentucky as a walk-on. He reentered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and committed to New Mexico State.

Opportunities at new schools

Whether it be Hogan at Kentucky, Padilla at SMU or May at Wyoming, opportunities have been few and far between for ex-Hawkeyes. May did not play at all in 2023. Hogan had a total of seven dropbacks in his two years at Kentucky, according to Pro Football Focus.

Padilla had seven dropbacks in his first season with SMU as the Mustangs’ apparent QB3 — even fewer opportunities than his 48 dropbacks as Iowa’s QB2 in 2022.

That trend is likely to change this year, though. Petras was named the starting quarterback at Utah State during spring practices. Labas also appears to be in a strong position to garner playing time at Central Michigan in 2024.

Hill, meanwhile, seems to be significantly better than the other quarterback options at Utah Tech — a program that has gone 9-29 since elevating itself to the Division I FCS level in 2020.

How does Iowa’s QB attrition compare to other Big Ten schools?

Iowa’s quarterback attrition is above average, albeit not abnormal, when looking at its peers across the Big Ten.

The Big Ten average for transfer departures at quarterback since 2021 is 4.3, according to a Gazette analysis of On3 data. (The four incoming Big Ten schools are not included because they were competing in the Pac-12 during this time frame.)

Every team had at least two quarterback departures. More than two-thirds of the conference — 10 of 14 teams, to be specific — had fewer departures than Iowa.

The only conference foes to have as many or more quarterbacks depart via the portal were Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. That is far from a surprise considering all three schools underwent head coaching changes since 2021. While Iowa obviously has not experienced a head coaching change during this period, it has experienced changes at offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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