How Michigan Football’s Cade McNamara can solidify starting job

Jim Harbaugh is doing something that I have never seen done before in college football. Harbaugh is starting two different quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks. This is the product of the ongoing battle for quarterback that neither Cade McNamara nor JJ McCarthy has gotten the leg up in.

Let’s talk about the more seasoned of the two; McNamara got the nod for week one against Colorado State. Michigan football opens as a heavy favorite against the Rams, Colorado State is coming off a 3-9 season in the Mountain West, and they don’t expect to be any better this season.

Lots of transfers set the roster for the Rams, but they shouldn’t be able to match the talent and ability on the Wolverine side. Just setting the scene for McNamara should be able to showcase his abilities in Week 1 if that is in the game plan.

McNamara can win the starting job if he can especially sprinkle in his good decision-making and big plays. We know McNamara makes the right play and usually does not put the ball in harm’s way, which is a powerful trait of his.

With this start, though, I believe he needs to show Harbaugh and all the fans out there that he can do more than be a field general. When your competition is a player as naturally talented as J.J. McCarthy, it must be in your repertoire to make those big plays. McNamara has proved to be a top game manager, but that might not be enough for Harbaugh to give him the nod.

How Cade can win the Michigan football starting job

McNamara needs to go out on September 3rd and make it a no-brainer for the coaches; if you’re Cade McNamara, you have to use this competition as fuel to make you a better player.

He has the advantage in the experience department and has played with the first-stringers more than McCarthy.

Let me praise each of these quarterbacks for how they have handled the situation so far; both have been very mature and focused on the goal—McNamara especially, as the starter last year in one of Michigan football’s best years in recent memory.

The bottom line is McNamara has the ability and has shown the coaches that he can lead this team; he will just have to outplay McCarthy in a one-game sample size. If I had to predict the eventual outcome of this situation, I think Cade will win the job.

The offense this year is a very experienced group, and I think the experience of McNamara will give him the edge. Don’t expect McCarthy to be off the field, though; Harbaugh has already shown he will get his time.