JJ McCarthy or Cade McNamara
Who should start?
The college football offseason always brings questions. But for a team like Michigan, who is returning their starting quarterback from a year ago that led them to their first-ever College Football Playoff, you wouldn’t think “Who is going to start at QB?” would be one of them. However, this seems to be the most popular offseason conversation among fans, and quite possibly within the program as well.
Cade
Cade McNamara, a former 4-star high school recruit, saw offers from the likes of Georgia, Alabama, USC, and Notre Dame. He hangs his hat on quality decision-making and pro-style passing ability. This has led him to being unfairly dubbed a “game manager.” While McNamara certainly possesses the ability to make his teammates around him better and limit turnovers, let’s not forget that his versatility, precision, and arm strength still teeter on the brink of NFL-caliber.
In 2021, McNamara achieved the seemingly impossible. He took a Michigan team that was reeling from a Covid-obliterated 2-4 shortened season, and started every game at the quarterback position. He consistently lead Jim Harbaugh’s “Run the Damn Ball” offense down the field, while limiting turnovers and displaying the occasional well-timed passing strike for a score. While he only threw for 200+ yards in 5 of Michigan’s 15 games, he also managed to give them their third-ever 12 win season and first Big 10 Chyampionship in nearly two decades.
The criticisms of Cade McNamara came to a climax in Michigan’s biggest game of the season. In the CFP semi-final game, Georgia’s front 7 outplayed and outmatched Michigan’s O-line for the first time all year. With freak athletes regularly breaking into the backfield, McNamara was forced to scramble and make split second decisions. He showed a complete inability to escape the rush, and made several arrid throws, two of which were intercepted. His limitations that were highlighted in that game left many fans wondering if Michigan achieved greatness in 2021 because of Cade, or in spite of him.
JJ
JJ McCarthy entered his 2021 Freshman campaign as the Wolverines top recruit in the class. In fact, the five-star phenom out of the prolific IMG Academy was touted as one of the most promising recruits in the history of Michigan football. McCarthy wasted no time to show off his escapability and rocket arm. In the first game of the season against Western Michigan, he entered the game in clean-up minutes and quickly announced his presence. He dropped back and easily avoided the defensive pressure escaping to his right…He then launched a bomb back across his body with a throw few NFL quarterbacks could execute, hitting Daylen Baldwin in stride for a spectacular 69 yard touchdown. He periodically showed off his athletic ability throughout the season, including against Georgia, avoiding pressure that repeatedly swallowed up McNamara.
But not everything from JJ in 2021 was positive. While an undisputed freak athlete with a bullet arm, he often found himself trying too hard to makes a play and coughing up the ball. In one of the biggest moments of the season during the Michigan State game(a game that Michigan appeared to have complete control of), he quickly fumbled the ball twice and gave the momentum back to the Spartans. That would be the only regular season loss of the year for Michigan.
No matter who you feel should start the 2022-23 season for Michigan, as a fan you should feel good about the fact that the Michigan Wolverines have two outstanding options. While it’s unclear exactly who will start week 1, we will most likely see some version of a 2-quarterback system this upcoming season.
