Michigan reveals unusual plan to settle QB battle
Aug 31, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Michigan Wolverines are using an unusual tactic to make a final decision on who their starting quarterback will be for the 2022 season.
Michigan has spent the offseason deciding between senior Cade McNamara and sophomore J.J. McCarthy, and evidently still are not making a final decision. In a statement, coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that the first two games of the season will essentially serve as auditions, with Cade McNamara starting against Colorado State in Week 1 and J.J. McCarthy getting the nod in Week 2 against Hawaii. According to Harbaugh, a starter and backup will be decided prior to Week 3 against Connecticut.
QB Update pic.twitter.com/hwDJQmETQK
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 27, 2022
McNamara was the starter for the bulk of the 2021 season, which saw Michigan win the Big Ten and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. McCarthy, a former five-star recruit, is the more mobile and arguably more dynamic player, but is also significantly less experienced. That showed at times in 2021, as his costly turnover was a key moment in Michigan’s only regular season defeat.
Harbaugh had previously suggested the quarterback battle would drag on into the season, and that appears to be the case. It remains to be seen whether such an unorthodox process pays any dividends in the end.
