McNamara Named to Maxwell Watch List

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior quarterback Cade McNamara has been named to the 2023 Maxwell Award Watch List, announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Monday.

The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

McNamara (6-foot-1, 205-pounds), a Reno, Nevada, native, will be in his first season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from the University of Michigan. McNamara was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021, starting all 14 games under center, in leading the Wolverines to a Big Ten Championship. McNamara completed 210-of-327 passes for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, McNamara appeared in four games as a sophomore in 2020, completing 43-of-71 pass attempts for 425 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Maxwell Award has been awarded to College Football’s Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert Maxwell for his contributions to the game as a player, sportswriter and official.

The award, in conjunction with the NCFAA, will announce semifinalists on Nov. 13, while finalists for the distinction will be revealed Nov. 28. The winner will be announced Dec. 7 as part of ESPN’s College Football Awards Show.

McNamara and the Hawkeyes open their season on Sept. 2 against Utah State. The sold-out game is set for an 11 a.m. (CT) kickoff.