Neither Team Will Have Starting Quarterback in Iowa Bowl Game
On Monday, it was announced that Spencer Petras would not be available in for Iowa's matchup with Kentucky in the Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve.
With his backup, Alex Padilla, in the transfer portal, the Hawkeyes are down to starting either Joey Labas or Carson May. Neither of them has taken a single snap in college yet.
As he announced today, the Wildcats' starting quarterback Will Levis won't be playing in the game, either. He's expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft and has decided to skip the bowl game in lieu of preparing for the draft instead.
This season, Levis completed 185 passes for 2,406 yards and 19 touchdowns along with 10 interceptions. He also scored two touchdowns on the ground.
As written by A Sea of Blue, "He played with foot and shoulder injuries for much of the season while playing behind a rebuilt offensive line that struggled for most of the year to keep him upright."
In last season's bowl game matchup with the Hawkeyes, he completed 17 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. He threw a pick as well. Kentucky took the victory in that game by a score of 20-17.
In place of Levis will be either Kaiya Sheron or Destin Wade for the Wildcats.
This season, Sheron started for Levis in their game against South Carolina. He threw an interception, but also completed 15 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also went 2-2 for nine yards in limited snaps against Mississippi State.
Out of high school, he was a three-star recruit with offers from Kentucky and Marshall, while receiving interest from Louisville, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Wake Forest, and Western Kentucky.
Wade has yet to register any stats for the Wildcats. He was also a three-star prospect out of high school, with offers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Penn State, Ole Miss, Baylor, Cincinnati, and others.