'It's My Job Now': McNamara On Leadership Role, Off-Season Focus

With fifteen career starts under his belt, McNamara's in-game experience - particularly on the road - could be the difference maker between Michigan's 10th consecutive loss in Columbus or their second consecutive trip to Indy.

If veteran QB Cade McNamara is nervous about the upcoming battle with JJ McCarthy for the starting spot this Fall, he certainly isn't showing signs of it. In fact, McNamara appears to be embracing every moment of it. 

Appearing on a recent episode of "In the Trenches" with Jon Jansen, McNamara said the competition at Michigan is forcing him to step his game up in all areas. 

"Competition is really healthy of any position," McNamara said. "It really forces you to bring your best every single day, and that's all you can ask for when you're on a team and when you're in a position group. That's an extremely healthy thing and that's really good for the team, because we're getting that much better every single day."

In terms of what McNamara is focusing on this off-season, the senior QB says stepping into more of a leadership role is critical.

"We lost some big leaders last year. It's my job now as the older guy to help steer the ship even more and help other guys get that train pushing in the right direction."

While leadership at the quarterback position is obviously essential to Michigan's success in 2022, McNamara admits that he wants to be more of an offensive threat this time around. 

"I definitely wanted to elevate my game," McNamara said. "I needed to be more of a force on offense, I thought. Just overall me playing better is going to help the offense."

Though fans and local media will undoubtedly continue to debate over who will be - or should be - the starter this fall, the reality is that McNamara's presence in Michigan's quarterback room is critically important in 2022. With 15 career starts under his belt, McNamara's in-game experience - particularly on the road - could be the difference maker between Michigan's 10th consecutive loss in Columbus or their second consecutive trip to Indy.