The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 11 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Cade McNamara Will Hold On To The Job — Barely By Chris Balas That old adage that if you have two quarterbacks, then you really don't have one? Yeah — that's just not true. We've seen it repeatedly in Ann Arbor alone, especially in the 1990s when even Tom Brady had a hard time cracking the lineup. As much as one faction would like to discredit McNamara for his role in last year 's Big Ten title, the now-senior was a huge reason for U-M's success last season. They didn't ask him to win games on his own because they usually didn't have to, but he was a major reason for the culture shift … and he happened to make some outstand- ing throws, too. McNamara doesn't have the biggest arm, and he's not the tallest guy. He's just okay as a scrambler. Sophomore J.J. McCarthy has better physical skills as both a runner and a passer. The senior does have a few big things going for him, however, in that he leads scoring drives, and he wins. That's been the book on him in the fall, as well. He's got command of the offense and great leadership. Simply put, he's a good quarterback. It says here he'll hold on to his job. J.J. McCarthy Will Take Over By Clayton Sayfie We expect senior quarterback Cade McNamara to start the season opener and non-conference portion of the season, but sophomore J.J. McCarthy has a real shot to take over the job come midseason. Michigan's schedule is extremely light, with only one of its first three op- ponents — Hawaii — having posted a winning record last season. That will give head coach Jim Har- baugh and Co. the opportunity to play both signal-callers. Should he stay on track, McCarthy will only be getting healthier and more comfortable, after being limited due to shoulder soreness most of the offseason. His mobility will help the Wolverines in short-yardage situations, after he flashed on read-option runs during his freshman campaign. His big arm, too, will allow for the of- fense to be opened up even further, with plenty of talent surrounding him at each skill position. With either guy, U-M is in good hands, but we expect Mc- Carthy to make a big jump this year, and some of his natural skills will make him hard to keep off the field come time for the meat of the schedule. McNamara set the bar high last season and has improved himself, but McCarthy has the potential to surpass him. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHICH QUARTERBACK WILL LEAD MICHIGAN IN BIG TEN PLAY? McNAMARA McCARTHY WWW.THEWOLVERINE.COM • $14.95 WWW.THEWOLVERINE.COM • $14.95 TWO EASY WAYS TO ORDER: CALL: 800-421-7751 10:00-4:00 ET, Mon.-Fri. Or call 919-688-0218 if outside the continental U.S. ONLINE: www.TheWolverineOnDemand.com Order 24 hours a day from our online store! Now Only $12.00 $12.00 (plus sales tax where applicable) WHILE SUPPLY LASTS! With over 160 full-color, glossy action-packed pages of Michigan football information, this magazine is a must-have for the upcoming season! OR GET THE DIGITAL VERSION FOR JUST $6 F I N A L C L O S E O U T THE 2022 MICHIGAN THE 2022 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW FOOTBALL PREVIEW FREE SHIPPING IN THE U.S.