Arguably the biggest quarterback competition in the entire country is right in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Wolverines are coming off a 2021 season in which they won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, and went to the College Football Playoff, but one thing that remains a constant for the maize and blue — there seems to always be a quarterback competition.
Cade McNamara, the incumbent starter, is the one that led Michigan to the best season its had since 1997, but the Wolverines brought in a five-star playmaker in 2021 named J.J. McCarthy. While McNamara started every game in 2021, McCarthy played a significant role and helped Michigan win some ball games.
On Monday, college football analyst, Greg McElroy talked about the Michigan quarterback competition on his podcast ‘Always College Football’.
On his podcast, he was talking about the different college football programs that have not announced a starting quarterback with the season swiftly approaching. Teams like LSU, Texas A&M, and Michigan all have not announced who would be taking the opening snap.
But McElroy believes Michigan has an advantage in that category where other teams do not.
“When you think about what these two guys can do, Michigan is at a bit of a luxury right now,” said McElroy. “The luxury being time. (Other) coaches we’ve talked about, they don’t have the luxury of time. They better have a dude ready to rock Week One because the team they’re playing against could very easily beat them. No disrespect to Colorado State, Hawaii, or UConn, but those are the three teams that Michigan starts the season with. So, why is it that right now there is an emphasis on trying to figure out who your guy is gonna be? You very clearly have time on your side. Take your time. If the competition carries over into the first three weeks of the regular season, that might not have an adverse effect on you whatsoever. It’s not a big deal. Allow them to continue on.”
Last year, McNamara threw for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. While those stats may not be earth-shattering, he was safe and managed the game at a high level. McElroy says that coaches like predictability at the quarterback position, so that is why he gives a slight edge to the incumbent starter.
In 2021, McCarthy threw for 516 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 124 yards and ran for two scores. McElroy believes that McCarthy will have a similar role as last year, coming off the bench and using his legs.
Michigan opens its season on Sept. 3 against Colorado State and we may know a little more about who the quarterback is going to be when that game concludes — or maybe not.
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