National analyst suggests starting QB for University of Michigan

Who will be the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan when the 2022 season kicks off? Will it be the incumbent Cade McNamara or will it be the challenger, J.J. McCarthy?

Chances are that Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh will not reveal the starter until right before the first game of the season but everybody seems to have an opinion as to who should get the nod.

Beyond the Box: Michigan's QB Battle

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National analyst suggests starting QB for University of Michigan

According to Tom Fornelli, who is a college football writer for CBS Sports, J.J. McCarthy should be the starter for Michigan when the 2022 season begins.

Here is Fornelli’s rationale for starting McCarthy over McNamara:

“I would rather have J.J. McCarthy starting,” CBS Sports college football writer Tom Fornelli said on the Cover 3 Podcast. “I think you have a higher ceiling with J.J. McCarthy. I think he adds another element with his legs and mobility. Cade McNamara is not a statue, but he doesn’t have the same kind of mobility that McCarthy has, and I think that kind of limits what Michigan wants to do, but I also understand that maybe there’s more trust with McNamara not to make the back-breaking, killing mistake that could hurt you, and we saw that last year. He wasn’t like a game manager — he was better than that — but he wasn’t like blowing people away.”

“Michigan was having success running the ball a lot and just that play-action kind of passing going off of that, and it was effective, because they had a terrific defense and they didn’t have to take a bunch of risks on offense,” Fornelli said. “But I still think that even though you beat Ohio State last year with McNamara — longer term to make it more likely to beat Ohio State this year and the year after that — you need to have more dynamism at the quarterback position because Ohio State is going to be a better defense this year.”

Nation, who do you believe should be the starting quarterback for Michigan in 2022? Do you think Cade McNamara should resume his duties or do you think J.J. McCarthy gives the Wolverines a higher ceiling?