Michigan Football: Cade McNamara is an interesting choice for QB

Michigan football’s offensive coordinator, Josh Gattis, revealed no one has the lead for the starting role which means Cade McNamara has a better shot than previously thought.

There are people who will read the title of this article and immediately say: “Who’s Cade McNamara?” There seemed to be a quarterback pecking order and Cade was an afterthought for Michigan football moving forward. That’s not true anymore, according to Josh Gattis who said, “No one has a leg up. It’s not based on (the) depth chart (from) last year.”

If you, like many, determined the depth chart strictly at usage from 2019-20, you would see Dylan McCaffrey had the most reps, followed by Joe Milton, and no one else. Freshman Cade McNamara didn’t throw the ball.

Entering year two under Gattis, the historical statistics have been thrown out the window. With that being the truth we are being told, let’s get to know Cade McNamara; the most interesting QB candidate.

The tale of the tape

Coming out of Reno, Nevada, Cade rose the QB ranks all the way to seventh in 247 sports composite ranking for pro-style QB’s, and earned himself a .9052 composite score with four-stars. He was the No. 1 football player in-state and 268th nationally.

Allen Trieu with the scouting report:

"At 6-foot-1, and just over 200 pounds, McNamara is not as tall as other nationally-ranked quarterbacks, but does have good weight and muscle as he enters college. He played in a spread-out system which allowed him to throw a lot of balls in high school. He is accurate, has good placement and touch and can throw into windows. His best asset may be his ability to throw from odd angles and on the move without needing to have his feet set. While he has not posted big rushing stats, he shows good ability to elude pressure and extend plays. He has taken good care of the the football with an over 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio his sophomore through senior seasons. His intangibles, in general, are a major asset. He will have to adjust to the speed of the college game and throwing into tighter windows. He has the quick release and necessary velocity for that, but did not see consistently high-level secondary speed in his high school career. Intangibles and accuracy are likely to carry him to a productive college career and he could develop into an NFL draft choice."

Rivals had the same ranking as 247 sports internal rankings which dropped McNamara down to 8th positionally.

ESPN had Cade strongly within the ESPN 300 at 253rd overall, with a scout grade of 81 and four-stars. They also placed him at 38th regionally, 12th positionally, No. 1 in-state.

Here is the ESPN Scouting Report ($):

"Strengths: Late bloomer build. A good decision maker out of the gun in the spread offense. An accurate passer who is able to fit the ball into tight windows. This is a poised and confident competitor. Shows touch and timing. Changes ball speeds nicely. Has just enough zip and finesse to anticipate throws and lead targets. Areas of Improvement: Marginal height and strength. Not sure he has elite arm power. Bottomline: McNamara throws a very nice deep ball and possesses a smooth quick release. One of his better traits and one that is certain to draw attention."

Shortly after receiving an offer from UM in January 2018, Cade committed to Notre Dame and then decommitted very quickly. Here’s what McNamara had to say about it:

"“Over the course over the past couple of months some things have been said, some things haven’t been done. Notre Dame just isn’t the best fit for me. I believe they (ND) might still try to recruit me. As of right now, I cannot see myself playing for Notre Dame just because I feel it’s not the best fit for me. That’s where I stand right now.”"

Weird, but not important.

Matt’s musings

I don’t see any scenario where Cade assumes the responsibility of leading the offense this season other than during garbage time, but it’s a possibility that should be explored if those many assume are above him can’t perform at the next level.

McNamara might be the most accurate of the three, but he’s a bit slower than the others (verified 5.03 forty) and could use an additional year in college before the weight of Michigan football falls on his shoulders.