Iowa football now has a new quarterback. Here are four things you should know about him. Iowa football now has a new quarterback.
Brendan Sullivan, a transfer quarterback from Northwestern, confirmed his commitment to Iowa on Wednesday.
He has two years of eligibility left. This was a much-needed boost to Iowa’s quarterback room, as it adds depth and insurance at the backup quarterback position behind Cade McNamara.
Sullivan has Big Ten experience and has been effective in a number of starts, which is a significant step forward.
Here are four things you should know about Sullivan.
Iowa wanted to pursue a quarterback with experience from the transfer portal, and Sullivan filled all of the qualifications.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback completed 69% of his throws for the Wildcats, totaling 1,303 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions across two seasons. He also demonstrated the ability to get yards with his legs, running the ball 129 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns during the previous two seasons.
He has two years of eligibility remaining and has started 12 games for the Wildcats over the past two years.
Sullivan received a PFF passing grade of 58.6 last year. The year before, he had a passing grade of 61.7 and a completion rate of 74%, completing 71-of-96 throws for 589 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
In addition to Cade McNamara, Iowa has more starting quarterback experience in the Big Ten, something the Hawkeyes required given McNamara’s injury history. Sullivan will also improve the room and has a chance to debut in 2024, as well as being the frontrunner to start in 2025.
Sullivan’s best performance last season came against Maryland. He completed 16-of-23 throws for 265 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 56 yards and being sacked five times.
That will do.
Sullivan also suffered a broken sternum during the 2022 season after taking a hard hit in the pocket.
Sullivan is familiar with Iowa’s offensive coordinator, Tim Lester.
Sullivan is a Davison, Michigan native who graduated from high school as a three-star quarterback.
Sullivan was mostly pursued by MAC schools until Indiana and Northwestern approached him with offers, and he eventually accepted the Wildcats’ offer.
Western Michigan was one of the MAC teams actively recruiting him, and the head coach at the time was Tim Lester, who is currently the offensive coordinator at Iowa.
Lester saw Sullivan as a good fit for Western Michigan’s scheme, and he is now the type of quarterback who can help improve the Iowa quarterback room under Lester’s leadership.
Here’s Sullivan’s high school scouting report from Allen Trieu of 247Sports.
“Sullivan provides a variety of tools here. He has above-average stature, is an excellent athlete who can make plays with his feet, and possesses strong arm talent. Furthermore, I admire the intangibles of a man who can lead on both the football field and the basketball court. He led a squad that had never won a state title to the Division I state championship. That certainly counts for something. After seeing him throw in person, I’ve always wondered why more Power Five colleges hadn’t joined in. Indiana and Northwestern were smart, and the Wildcats get a player here who I actually compare with some of their recent
transfer Peyton Ramsey, who is also a guy with some athleticism and intangibles.” Here’s Sullivan’s high school scouting report from Allen Trieu of 247Sports.
“Sullivan provides a variety of tools here. He has above-average stature, is an excellent athlete who can make plays with his feet, and possesses strong arm talent. Furthermore, I admire the intangibles of a man who can lead on both the football field and the basketball court. He led a squad that had never won a state title to the Division I state championship. That certainly counts for something. After seeing him throw in person, I’ve always wondered why more Power Five colleges hadn’t joined in. Indiana and Northwestern were smart, and the Wildcats get a player here who I actually compare with some of their recent
SULLIVAN HAS STRONG LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
Sullivan can be described as a great leader.
It started in high school where he was a multi-sport athlete and helped push the Davison to new heights.
Here is a snippet from high school on Sullivan.
“In Sullivan, the Wildcats get a good athlete who also stood out on the basketball court, but more importantly, a leader with strong intangibles. He took Davison to their first state championship in school history in the fall of his junior season.”
Here is a good example of what type of teammate Sullivan is, too.
“Proud of the way Sully came in,” Northwestern head coach David Braun said in the fall. “You take stock in everything; everything’s being evaluated… We talk about owning our roles, well, Brendan Sullivan has owned his role throughout camp and moving forward into prep for Rutgers. That doesn’t mean that Sully has to be satisfied with his role.”
“My goals are to help this team out as best as possible. My goals are to win as a team,” Sullivan added. “I want to win a Big Ten Championship. Whatever my role is in that — this year, it’s being a backup. This year, it’s helping my team out as best as possible off the field, and then a little bit on the field. So, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Sullivan is not assured to be Iowa’s starting quarterback this fall, with Cade McNamara still in the mix, but he will be an excellent leader and quarterback to add to the roster.
Mike, Sullivan’s father, was a three-year letterman on the offensive line at the University of Michigan during the 1990s.
The Sullivan family has a long history of excellent bloodlines, beginning with his father. It’s fascinating to note that a former Michigan offensive lineman has a son who is a Big Ten quarterback. As previously stated, Sullivan brings a lot of moxie to the quarterback position. Those intangibles his father instilled in him have helped him become a superb football player.
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