Nate Stanley

C.J. Beathard's graduation following the 2016 season left some uncertainty at quarterback for Iowa entering 2017. Stanley quickly quelled any concerns among the Hawkeye faithful, tossing three touchdown passes in his first start against Wyoming. Although he topped 200 passing yards just four times, Stanley posted an effective and efficient 26:6 TD:INT ratio in addition to 2,437 passing yards. He will no longer have the elite talent of Akrum Wadley in the backfield, so Stanley could be relied upon more heavily in 2018 and will likely need to improve on his 55.8 completion percentage in his second year under center to keep the Iowa offense churning. Fortunately, the Hawkeyes return both of their top two pass catchers from a season ago -- Nick Easley and Noah Fant -- so the team's passing game should have some continuity.