Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh Will Continue Rotating QBs Cade McNamara, J.J. McCarthy

When Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh announced that he would have quarterbacks Cade McNamara start Game 1 against Colorado State and J.J. McCarthy start Game 2 against Hawai’i, it was a decision that caught McNamara by surprise.

“I would definitely say it’s pretty unusual,” McNamara said following the Wolverines’ season-opening victory against the Rams. “It was kind of a thing I wasn’t expecting by the end of camp. I thought I had my best camp. I thought I put myself in a good position, and that was just the decision that coach went with.”

Harbaugh, who still isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback for the bulk of the regular season, plans to keep his approach of starting McCarthy for Game 2 as he continues to evaluate the starting quarterback position with his staff.

“We’ve plowed this ground about as thoroughly as it can possibly be plowed,” Harbaugh said. 

“Dating back to the summer when you asked the question, I said one could start, the other could start or a combination of both in the game. Those are the options. Happy that we’ve still got another week to look at it, as we said each would get a start. Make it as fair as it can be,” Harbaugh continued.

It’s an interesting spot for the Wolverines to be in as a Top 10 team in the country. Michigan is loaded on both sides of the ball and at quarterback as well, as they look to once again capture a Big Ten title and a trip back to the College Football Playoff.

“I think I said the same thing to you guys, I would prefer to have a starting quarterback going into each one and very transparent with that,” Harbaugh said. “Also, said if things are exactly the same as they were coming out of camp, they’re pretty close to dead even, then we were going to have to—as coaches—find a way to maximize both of their talents for the best use of the team. That remains a viable option.”

Michigan welcomes Hawai’i to the Big House on Saturday with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. ET.

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