With the 2022 college football season looming, it is time to start looking at teams a little bit closer. One of the biggest unknowns heading into the season is how the Michigan Wolverines will respond to their success from the 2021 season. Coming off its first Big Ten title since 2004, the Michigan Wolverines look to repeat its 2021 success. Winning another conference title and earning another trip to the CFB playoff isn’t that far-fetched. In this article, we breakdown the Wolverines’ quarterback position and assign a grade to it.
The most scrutinized position in Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan has been the quarterback position. Jake Rudock. The Wilton Speight & John O’Korn era. The Shea Patterson Project. The Joe Milton Hype train. And now finally the Cade and JJ tandem, it has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride trying to establish consistency.
Cade McNamara: Game Manager & Mr. Consistent
For the first time since Harbaugh got to Ann Arbor, Michigan found stability at the quarterback spot in 2021. Cade McNamara threw for over 2,500 yards with a 15:6 TD-INT ratio. He was never flashy, but he took care of the ball, and managed the game very well, as he compiled 12 wins along the way. In addition to Cade’s solid game management style, Michigan also utilized phenom freshman (now sophomore) JJ McCarthy to keep defenses constantly guessing. For the most part, the two-quarterback system proved effective. Michigan primarily used the rushing attack of a three-headed monster in Haskins, Corum, and Edwards to set up the downfield attack. Cade benefited from the effectiveness of the run game, setting up a downfield attack that resulted in him completing 64% of his passes.
The season ended disappointingly for McNamara after a rough showing in the CFB playoff semi-final game versus a record-setting Georgia Bulldogs defense. The elite defense of Georgia resulted in four sacks, two interceptions, and a 57% passing completion for Cade, as the Wolverines offense never settled in. The loss and poor display of quarterbacking resulted in an unrest among the Wolverine fanbase. Now, certain fans and alumni are putting their hopes toward McCarthy earning the starting role outright in fall camp.
Who starts game one probably doesn’t matter a whole lot, as I fully expect the Wolverines to continue operating a two-quarterback system. There is no question that Cade is a competitor, who embraces the toughness of a Harbaugh-led Wolverine team. He is a leader and the team responds well to that leadership. I do believe McNamara will be the one who trots out on the field with the offense for the first drive on September 3rd; however, you should also expect to see McCarthy on the field – probably sooner rather than later.
JJ McCarthy: Athleticism & Mr. Upside
McCarthy, a 5-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Florida, was the top ranked quarterback in the 2021 class. He has dazzled at times, showing his significant upside and strong arm. However, he has also displayed flashes of carelessness at times. In a battle of in-state rivals, McCarthy coughed up the football twice in the second half, the latter ultimately losing them the game. You can argue the ceiling is higher with McCarthy, as he adds another dimension that Cade doesn’t have. There is no doubt that McCarthy provides an exuberance in Ann Arbor – one that hasn’t been felt in respect to the QB position in a long time. He is the most skilled quarterback Michigan has seen in many years. However, it is hard to completely replace a Big Ten Championship and 12-win quarterback in Cade McNamara.
From the impressive cross-field TD strike in the opener against Western Michigan to the 56 yard bomb in Camp Randall, hitting a striding Daylen Baldwin, McCarthy displayed his potential and upside in more ways than one. There is no question that the offense can be expanded when he is on the field. Between his ability to run the read-option, his arm strength, and early accuracy on the deep ball, McCarthy certainly appears to have the total package. McCarthy got his chance on the biggest of stages as he was asked to play an extended role in the 2nd half against Georgia in the CFB semi-final. Even against the Bulldogs defense, which boasted a ton of future NFL picks, McCarthy seemed to move the ball better than McNamara did for 3 quarters. He finished that game 7/17 for 131 yards tossing for the Wolverines sole touchdown of the game. The finish to that game is what brings so many questions and excitement to the offseason battle. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Depth behind #12 and #9
Barring injuries, there is no plan to deviate from the Cade and JJ show. However, behind those two, there is optimism with preferred-walk on Davis Warren, who shined in the spring game. Warren was on the track to becoming a highly touted recruit out of California in 2020. However, a battle with leukemia forced Warren to step away from the game for a year. Harbaugh ultimately took a chance on him, as he signed as a preferred walk-on in February 2021. Now, Warren is returning to physical condition where he can showcase his talent and abilities. Barring something unforeseen, he should be a favorable 3rd string option behind McNamara and McCarthy.
Michigan is in great hands at the quarterback position, and it will force defenses to gameplan even harder having to account for both. With the physical rushing game plus a return all of their weapons on the outside PLUS having Ronnie Bell re-join the depth chart after an ACL injury ruined his 2021 campaign, there will be no shortage of weapons for these two quarterbacks in 2022. Michigan should be heavily favored in its first 3 games, all of which are non-conference matchups. The ease into the schedule will give both quarterbacks a chance to play and get up to speed on the offense before conference play kicks off on September 24th.
Final grade: A-
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