Opposing coaches manipulated a Michigan quarterback who was later transferred, according to the report.

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Rival coaches were suspended for tampering with a Michigan football roster quarterback who later decided to transfer.

A Report in The Athletic Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive linemen coach John Budmeyer said they will miss the opener against Illinois State due to an investigation into their recruitment of Cade McNamara.

McNamara was on Michigan’s roster from 2020 through 2022, leading the Wolverines to the Big Ten title, a win over Ohio State, and their first playoff appearance as a starter in 2021.

But McNamara lost the starting job to JJ McCarthy early in 2022 and later suffered a knee injury that cost him the rest of the season. The team captain was strangely invisible throughout Michigan’s 12-0 regular season and announced his intention to move on between the Ohio State win and the Big Ten championship game.

According to the report, Ferentz and Budmeier recruited McNamara from Michigan’s roster before the transfer window opened that year. He committed to play for the Hawkeyes on Dec. 1, 2022 — three days after the window opened.

The suspension is tied to an ongoing NCAA investigation, but it’s not clear whether the sanction came from the NCAA or Iowa State. If it comes from the NCAA, it would appear to be the latest instance of a coach being ousted for something that’s common across the sport.

McNamara missed most of Iowa’s 2023 season after suffering another injury against Michigan State. In the team’s first five games, he completed 51.1% of his pass attempts for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions — far worse than his numbers at Maize and Blue.

McNamara is back on the field and competing for Iowa’s starting job this season.