Former Iowa football QB named MVP of Dream Bowl
Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes WireThu, January 15, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC·1 min read
After excelling in the 2026 Dream Bowl on Jan. 11, former Iowa football quarterback Cade McNamara was named the annual event's MVP.
The Dream Bowl, like many other college football showcases, is an annual event that showcases the talents of several top-ranking seniors in front of NFL scouts and executives during the early pre-draft scouting process ahead of the NFL draft in March.
McNamara, who transferred to Iowa from Michigan before the 2023 campaign, was initially seen as a solution to the Hawkeyes' quarterback stability issue. But, after a pair of injury-plagued seasons, McNamara wasn't the answer that Iowa hoped he might be.
In 13 games played and started with the Hawkeyes, McNamara completed 150-of-262 passes (57.3%) for 1,522 yards and 10 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Iowa finished with a 9-4 record in games McNamara started over his two seasons in Iowa City.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder from Reno, Nev., eventually signed with East Tennessee State out of the transfer portal last January, where he passed for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns against six interceptions in eight games played for the Buccaneers.
McNamara officially declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 23.
Cade McNamara with a 56 yard touchdown pass!
QB out of East Tennessee State
Jerry Griffin-Batchler 56 yard touchdown
WR out of Bloomsburg@Cademac_12
đź“Ť @TheDreamBowl pic.twitter.com/stz3mL7aAU
— Juwan Davis (@MrJDavis96) January 11, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa football QB Cade McNamara named MVP of Dream Bowl
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