Michigan football holding honest-to-god QB auditions to start the season

For Michigan Wolverines fans wondering who would be the starting quarterback for this season, head coach Jim Harbaugh gave an answer. Kind of. 

The Michigan Wolverines went on the run of all runs last season, as they reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Now, it is a new season for the Wolverines, and fans were wondering who exactly would be the starting quarterback. In the lead up to the season, there has been talk that both Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy have impressed.

On Saturday, Aug. 27, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement providing his answer as to who won the starting job. The answer was that he has not made a decision just yet. Instead, it will be McNamara starting in the season-opener against Colorado State, while McCarthy would be the QB1 for their second game against Hawaii.

After the second game, Harbaugh will decide who will be the starter for the following week against UConn.

Michigan football: Jim Harbaugh announces in-season QB competition

Wolverines fan were probably not expecting to see the quarterback competition continue into the season. Well, that is exactly what they are getting.

McNamara was the primary starter for Michigan during their run to the Orange Bowl last season. He threw for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 64.2-percent of his passes.

While McNamara is entering his senior season, there is McCarthy, who was among the top recruits in the 2021 class. He was a five-star recruit after all. As it turns out, he will not be getting the starting job just yet. But that can all change with a strong showing against Hawaii.

Yet, McCarthy did not receive any starts, but he did complete 34-of-59 of his pass attempts for 516 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in 11 games. McCarthy ran the ball 27 times during his freshman year, picking up 124 yards and two touchdowns in the process.

Wolverines fans will be watching the team’s first two games closely and will make their determination as to who they believe should be the starter moving forward. Of course, the final decision is Harbaugh’s.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.