If you thought Jim Harbaugh would clarify the QB battle during Big Ten media days, you thought wrong. This isn’t a surprise as Harbaugh has been known to keep his cards close to his chest. However, there was some hope that we would know where Harbaugh and his staff were leaning. This was not the case as Harbaugh offered little clarity on the Michigan QB battle.
Cade McNamara vs JJ McCarthy
Each QB brings a different skill set to the table. McNamara has the 2021 season to point to as a success. Beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten Championship and appearing in the College Football Playoff are all great things to have on a resume. However, McNamara’s stats were fairly vanilla. He was in the middle of the pack of Big Ten QBs in terms of stats and was 10th in the Big Ten in TDs responsible for. McNamara definitely rode the coattails of a strong defense and a solid running game.
McCarthy offers more upside. He appeared in the 2021 season in spurts throwing for just over 500 yards and 5 TDs. The former five star recruit has a higher ceiling than McNamara but the question remains on how polished he is. Working against McCarthy is the fact that he had shoulder surgery this offseason and was unable to throw during the spring. It seems the shoulder has healed well and is “the best it has ever been”.
Who is QB1 Heading Into Camp?
Harbaugh was clear that McNamara would get the first team reps going into camp. He reiterated that McCarthy would get his opportunity but McNamara seems to have the edge early. One benefit on the competition is that McNamara cannot be complacent. During his interview he talked about how he was getting better faster because he had McCarthy behind him. For Michigan fans, this is exactly what you want to hear. Ultimately, no fan cares who starts as long as they win games.
Could Michigan Use 2 QBs this Year?
There is always the option of switching QBs game by game or even drive by drive. If one of the QBs is having an off day, you can swap in the other. Defense will have to prepare to see both McNamara and McCarthy who have very different games. This approach does have downsides. Offense is often about rhythm. Constantly switching QBs could mean no one really gets into a rhythm and the offense can be disjointed and stall easily.
Ultimately, I believe Michigan will use the QBs similar to last year. McNamara will be the starter but McCarthy will be sprinkled in. However, McCarthy has so much upside that if he performs well early in the season, Harbaugh may switch to him with McNamara as the failsafe in case things go south. The Michigan QB battle will be one to watch as the season approaches.
