Jim Harbaugh is letting the Michigan football QB competition extend into the season but J.J. McCarthy has already proven he should be QB1.
Michiganās biggest question coming into the 2022 season was whether Cade McNamara or J.J. McCarthy would win the starting job in camp.
The answer was neither as preemptively Jim Harbaugh named McNamara the starter for Week 1 and McCarthy the starter for Week 2, content to let the battle continue into the season.
Harbaugh intends to have the competition carry on into Week 2 but the performance of both QBs in Week 1 should have already revealed the answer.
McCarthy should be QB1.
Michigan football should name J.J. McCarthy the starter already
McNamara was fine for the Wolverines against Colorado State. He went 9-of-18 for 136 yards and a touchdown.
However, the offense only put up 23 points with him at the helm.
The moment McCarthy took the field it was clear his ceiling is just so much higher. He scored a 20-yard touchdown on the ground almost immediately. His next drive resulted in a touchdown as well.
McCarthy wentĀ 4-for-4 for 30 yards through the air and added 50 yards on the ground on three carries. His dynamic rushing ability is a game-changer for Michigan.
Harbaugh may be tempted to do the āsafeā thing and stick with McNamara at QB to avoid youthful mistakes from McCarthy. However, if Michigan wants to keep pace with Ohio State in the Big Ten title race, they need a bigger threat at quarterback.
The sooner McCarthy gets the job, the sooner he can start gaining the valuable experience that will take him to the next level.
As they say, fortune favors the brave.
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