Shortly after last season ended for Michigan in the College Football Playoff, Jim Harbaugh said he wouldn't apologize for having "two great quarterbacks." There he was again Tuesday, singing the praises of Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy is the five-star talent with an NFL calling. But McNamara is the QB who just led Michigan to its first Big Ten championship in nearly 20 years. And it's McNamara who enters camp as the starter, not that anything is written in stone. The season opener is well over a month away.
"Last year we made it work," Harbaugh said Tuesday at Big Ten media day. Both had phenomenal seasons, both played outstanding winning football every time they went out there."
Harbaugh referenced the fact that "over 50 percent of (McNamara's) drives end in points. And I don't know what the number is there for J.J., but seemed like every time he got in there and led a drive, it ended in points as well. Both really good."
"They ask sometimes, like at other positions, who’s going to play. The best player is going to play. And we’re going to know who the best player is by who plays the best," Harbaugh said. "Cade McNamara is going to be really tough to beat out for the starting quarterback job. J.J. McCarthy is going to be really tough to beat out for the starting quarterback job."
McNamara completed 64 percent of his passes and threw 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions in the regular season last year. But McCarthy, the five-star recruit coming off his true freshman season, has a stronger arm and more mobility. If McNamara is penciled in as the starter, McCarthy, who lost some offseason reps due to a shoulder injury, isn't far behind.
McNamara said Tuesday that he's "only growing through competition" and "getting better faster than if I were to be sitting in the quarterback room comfortably."
"But what it comes down to, as far as my mental mindset, the only thing I care about is making sure the team wins. As a competitor, I don’t think there’s any other mindset. You should be confident in yourself that you’re going to help the team do that," he said. "I’m just going to do everything I can to keep getting better and to help this team win."
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