IOWA CITY — Iowa State quarterback Deacon Hill is entering the transfer portal, the team announced Tuesday.
“Iowa, you gave me the best year of my life,” Hill posted on social media. “I have developed some of the most important relationships in my life, and for that I am forever grateful. This program taught me so much about life and gave me experiences that will last a lifetime. I'm so grateful to be a part of this program.''Learning from Coach (Kirk) Ferentz, Brian (Ferrentz), Coach (John Budmayer) and the entire coaching staff. ”
Hill played in 13 games for the Hawkeyes last season, starting nine of them. He completed 122 passes on 251 attempts (48.6%) for 1,152 yards with eight interceptions and five passing touchdowns. Hill transferred from Wisconsin to Iowa ahead of the 2023 season.
Hill found himself in a difficult situation last season. Cade McNamara, a prized transfer from Michigan State, went down with a season-ending ACL injury during the Iowa State-Michigan State game. A huge part of Iowa's offense hinges on McNamara's ability to stay healthy, which was a major struggle last season.
That put Hill in a bind. While Hill was at the University of Wisconsin, he never even attempted a pass in a game. After entering the transfer portal, he committed to Fordham, but when Iowa became involved in his recruitment, he flipped. By early October, Hill was Iowa's starting quarterback.
His inexperience showed up in a big way when Iowa's offense fell into disarray. Despite the offensive shortcomings, Iowa State still won the Big Ten West and finished the season 10-4 overall, thanks in large part to its dominant defense. Hill has only thrown for more than 200 yards in a game once. His best performance this season was against Rutgers, where he threw for 223 yards and a touchdown.
Hill shouldn't be solely responsible for Iowa's offensive problems. The production from the wide receivers was overwhelming. The offensive line has improved, but it's still not great. Seriously injured tight ends Luke Lachey and Eric Orr didn't help the situation either.
Another poor offensive season was the straw that broke the camel's back during then-offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz's time with the program. Head coach Kirk Ferentz's son has been the target of criticism as Iowa's offensive line has struggled. That situation reached a breaking point shortly after the Hawkeyes lost to Minnesota in October when it was announced that Brian Ferentz would not be returning for the 2024 season.
That made a difference this offseason. Iowa State has hired former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester as its new offensive coordinator. They also promoted John Budmeyer to wide receivers coach after Kelton Copeland's contract was not renewed.
But Iowa's quarterback room was surprisingly similar this spring to last season, which was a big concern. Joe Labas has been transferred. But otherwise, McNamara, redshirt freshman Marco Lynes and Hill were expected to return. Hill received the majority of first-team reps this spring as McNamara is still returning from injury.
But now, with Hill leaving the program, the dynamic in the quarterback room has become even more interesting.
As of Tuesday morning, McNamara and Lynes are projected to be Iowa's top two quarterbacks for the 2024 season. McNamara has suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons and is still not at his most recent health. Lynes attempted just seven passes at the collegiate level, all of which came during a brief appearance in the Citrus Bowl game between the University of Iowa and the University of Tennessee. The Hawkeyes are adding true freshman quarterback James Reaser to the team, but it's unrealistic to expect a player so young to make an impact this early in his career.
That means Iowa State is in dire need of a quarterback from the transfer portal.
One of the many lessons learned from last season was that Iowa State needs to have a capable backup plan for McNamara. It would be great for the Hawkeyes if McNamara could be fully healthy by the season opener in August and stay that way throughout the season. But if that doesn't happen, Iowa State will need to be much better prepared to handle it than it was last season.
The good news is that Hill's departure creates some room at the position. There was a bit of a logjam, with McNamara being a potential starter if healthy, and Hill and Lyness competing for a backup spot. Selling a quarterback in the transfer portal would have been difficult. But now that Hill is gone, the room is less clogged.
Meanwhile, it puts even more pressure on Iowa to acquire a quality quarterback from the transfer portal. If they can't do that, the Hawkeyes could be in trouble. Iowa will likely lack even more depth behind McNamara, which will put a lot of pressure on how Lynes performs as he is still in the early stages of his development.
Iowa doesn't need a gunslinger. But what was missing last season is a quarterback who can execute the game plan and protect the ball. If Iowa can find that in the transfer portal, it will be a success.
Follow Tyler Tuchman on X @Tyler_T15email ttachman@gannett.com.
