The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 61 [ Q U A R T E R B A C K S ] [ Q U A R T E R B A C K S ] PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH In late February, just before spring practices commenced, Matt Weiss was hired to coach Michigan's quarterbacks. He came to Ann Arbor after spend- ing 12 seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens from 2009-20. Weiss coached the team's running backs the past two seasons (2019-20) after previously working as an assistant with the receivers (2018) and quarterbacks (2016-17). He also served as the organization's football strategy coordinator in 2018. The Ravens rushed for more than 3,000 yards during both seasons in which Weiss worked di- rectly with the running backs, including a 3,296- yard 2019 campaign that broke the league record, which had been in place since 1978. They ran for 3,071 yards in 2020, which checks in at No. 4 all time. Prior to coaching on offense, Weiss was part of the Ravens' defensive staff from 2009-15. He held the titles of defensive assistant (2009-13), linebackers coach (2014) and cornerbacks coach (2015) during that span. Before being hired by John Harbaugh in Bal- timore, Weiss was a graduate assistant under Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh during the lat- ter's days as Stanford's head man. Weiss worked with the defense and special teams from 2005-08, all while earning a master's degree. A New Haven, Conn., native, Weiss began his coaching career as an assistant at Smyrna (Tenn.) High in 2003-04 after playing four years of SEC football for Vanderbilt from 2001-04. RETURNING PLAYERS CADE MCNAMARA • QB R-Fr. • Reno, Nev. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 205 • Made four appearances with one start in 2020, completing 43 of 71 passes for 425 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. • After entering the game late in the second quarter at Rutgers, led the Wolverines back from 17 points down to win, 48-42, in triple overtime. Threw four scoring tosses in the triumph. • Did not see game action and redshirted in 2019. • The first player in Nevada history to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award in back-to- back seasons (2017 and 2018). • Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Nevada and the No. 8 pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals. • Finished his prep career atop the Nevada state record book for passing yards (12,084) and touchdowns (146). Year GP/GS Com. Att. Yds. TD INT 2020 4/1 43 71 425 5 0 DAN VILLARI • QB Fr. • Massapequa, N.Y. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 227 • Redshirted and did not play during the 2020 season. • As a prep senior, led Plainedge High School to a 12-0 record and a Long Island Class III state championship — the first in school history. • In addition to passing for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season, he also rushed for 1,522 yards and 25 scores. • Posted a 23-1 record as a starter in high school. • Rated as a Rivals three-star prospect and the No. 13 player in the state of New York. NEWCOMERS ALAN BOWMAN • QB R-So. • Grapevine, Texas Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 215 • Transferred to U-M this offseason after spend- ing three years at Texas Tech. • Started six of the team's eight games in 2020, and threw for 1,602 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 64.7 percent of his passes (150 of 232). • During the 2019 campaign, completed 101 of 154 pass attempts (65.6 percent) for 1,020 yards with six touchdowns and three intercep- tions. Started the first three games, but missed the rest of the year with an injury. • As a true freshman, stepped in as Texas Tech's starter during week two of the 2018 season, but injuries late in the year limited him to eight games. Completed 69.4 percent of his passes, and totaled 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air. • Rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 29 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2018 by Rivals. J.J. MCCARTHY • QB Fr. • La Grange Park, Ill. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 195 • Ranked as a four-star prospect, and the No. 4 pro-style quarterback and No. 44 overall player in the class of 2021 by Rivals. • Named the 2020 Florida High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps, after leading IMG Acad- emy, the publication's No. 1 team in the nation on the season, to an 8-0 record. • Invited to both the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl as a senior. • Participated in the Elite 11 QB competition during the summer of 2020, and was one of 20 invited to the finals. • While playing for Nazareth (Ill.) Academy, was tabbed as the News-Gazette All-State Illinois Player of the Year in 2019, becoming the first underclassman to win the honor in 25 years. Dan Villari led Plainedge High School to a 12-0 record and a Long Island Class III state championship as a prep senior in 2019. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM ROSTER No. Name Ht. Wt. Year Elig. Hometown (High School) — Alan Bowman 6-3 215 Sr. So. Grapevine, Texas (Grapevine) 16 Ren Hefley* 6-0 197 Jr. Fr. Bryant, Ark. (Bryant) 15 Andy Maddox* 6-4 212 Jr. Fr. Prairie Village, Kan. (Shawnee Mission East) 9 J.J. McCarthy 6-3 195 Fr. Fr. La Grange Park, Ill. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) 12 Cade McNamara 6-1 205 Jr. Fr. Reno, Nev. (Damonte Ranch) 7 Peyton Smith* 6-3 190 So. Fr. Ithaca, Mich. (Traverse City Central) 4 Dan Villari 6-4 227 So. Fr. Massapequa, N.Y. (Plainedge) 18 Max Wittwer* 6-2 205 Sr. So. Utica, Mich. (Eisenhower) * Walk-on