J.J. McCarthy is the winner of the lengthy quarterback battle in Ann Arbor. It took two games into the 2022 college football season before Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh thought that he had seen enough from McCarthy and Cade McNamara to decide which quarterback will start going forward for Michigan football.
Nevertheless, Harbaugh is relishing the idea that Michigan football has two solid quarterbacks.
Via Trevor Woods of Maizen Brew:
“The main thing is it’s a big edge for our team to have two really good quarterbacks, and we as a team embrace that,” Harbaugh explained. “So outside of that, it would be irrelevant.”
McNamara was the QB1 of Michigan football in 2021 and was the quarterback of the team when the Wolverines won the Big Ten championship that season, but his shaky start in their 51-7 win over the Colorado State Rams in the 2022 season opener ultimately cost him his chance to retain his role as a starter. It did not help McNamara that McCarthy was fantastic in his start in the second game against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in which he threw 11 for 12 for 229 passing yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Against the Rams, McNamara went 9 of 18 for just 136 passing yards and a touchdown.
With the quarterback pecking order finally settled, Michigan football can now focus more on winning games. McCarthy and the Wolverines are scheduled next to play the UConn Huskies at home this coming Saturday before taking on the Maryland Terrapins a week after.