Jim Harbaugh explains why Cade McNamara won Michigan quarterback job

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh has liked the progress Cade McNamara has made this offseason and it’s why he’s the Wolverines’ starting quarterback.

There is no quarterback controversy at Michigan this year.

After losing the quarterback competition to Joe Milton at the start of last season, Cade McNamara went through the offseason and summer camp as the guy after finishing the 2020 season as the man under center.

Milton started the season as the starting quarterback but McNamara finished the abbreviated 2020 season as Jim Harbaugh’s next project.

The presence of five-star freshman J.J. McCarthy may have served as added motivation for McNamara in the offseason and in the summer but he’s no worried about losing his job to the rookie.

Jim Harbaugh names Cade McNamara Michigan’s starting quarterback

Harbaugh was asked about the progress McNamara has made from the end of last season to now and should have Wolverines fans excited to see him when the season opens on Saturday against Western Michigan.

“Cade McNamara is our starting quarterback,” Harbaugh said on Monday. “He’s ratcheted it up in a lot of different areas. The biggest one is consistency.”

McNamara didn’t get to play enough to show how consistent he could be, but he got a taste in November of what’ll be expected of him.

He completed 4-of-7 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in relief in the loss against Wisconsin. He started for the Rutgers game that went to triple-overtime, throwing four touchdowns and running for another in a game Michigan fans didn’t anticipate being so close.

Riding the high of the overtime win in his first start, McNamara crashed with a reality check in the season-ending loss to Penn State, throwing 12-of-25 for 91 yards and zero touchdowns.

A good game, albeit a nail-biter against Rutgers, isn’t the measuring stick for Michigan quarterbacks. However, if McNamara can put up numbers and performances like he did against the Scarlet Knights and do that against the likes of Michigan State, Penn State and, most importantly, Ohio State, then Harbaugh will have found a quarterback to build around.

This season figures to be better just because the season will be starting on time and there, hopefully, won’t be any COVID interruptions, but whether Michigan can challenge for nine or 10 wins falls largely on the right arm of McNamara.

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