IOWA CITY, IOWA — On Tuesday afternoon, head coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed what many Hawkeye fans feared as they watch Cade McNamara fall to the turf and clutch his knee on Saturday: Iowa’s starting quarterback tore his ACL and is out for the season.

McNamara went down without being touched in the 2nd quarter of the Hawkeyes’ eventual 26-16 win over Michigan State. McNamara was helped off the field by trainers, unable to put any weight on his left leg. He returned to the sidelines later in the game on crutches.

Ferentz said on Tuesday that McNamara will rejoin the Hawkeyes after surgery and that he remains a part of the team. Ferentz says that McNamara plans to return to the Hawkeyes for the 2024 season.

McNamara was replaced in the game by sophomore Deacon Hill who led the Hawkeyes to a comeback victory. The Iowa Hawkeyes host the Purdue Boilermakers at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday at 2:30 pm.