Former Michigan football quarterback named a top-5 QB in the Big Ten

Last year’s Week 1 victory over the Colorado State Rams was the last time that fans saw former Michigan football quarterback Cade McNamara start a game in the Maize and Blue. The following week, JJ McCarthy led the Wolverines to a huge win over Hawaii and stole the starting role. Since then, the Wolverines finished 12-0 in the regular season, beat Ohio State (again), won the Big Ten title (again), and made the College Football Playoff (again). Although they fell short in the Fiesta Bowl, one thing remains clear about the offense: former five-star JJ McCarthy is “the guy” for Michigan.

Recently, USA Today published its post-spring Big Ten quarterback rankings, and newly committed Hawkeye Cade McNamara broke into the top five.

Former Michigan football quarterback breaks top-5 QBs in the Big Ten

Now, don’t get me wrong, Cade McNamara is not a bad quarterback. He led Michigan football to a Big Ten title, a win over Ohio State, the team’s first 12-win season since 1997, and more during his one and only year as the starter in 2021. However, he played on an incredible team with a strong defense, an elite rushing attack, the best offensive line in the nation, and other supporting factors.

Cade McNamara can be frustrating because his performance is heavily dependent on the team around him. Could he lead Iowa to win 9-10 games? It’s possible, considering that Iowa won eight games last year with a struggling offense. But can he carry Iowa to a Big Ten title? Probably not.

During the 2022 season, Cade was replaced fairly early by JJ McCarthy, although he still managed to complete 14 of his 25 passes for 180 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Cade ranks at No. 5 in the USA Today rankings.

Why Top-5? USA Today’s take

Here is what USA Today had to say about their decision to rank Cade McNamara among the top-5 quarterbacks in the Big Ten:

“After helping lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten title in 2021, McNamara was benched in favor of J.J. McCarthy in 2022. He chose to leave for Iowa, a team that needs a lot of help at quarterback. If the offense can get humming along, McNamara should be the catalyst that brings the unit into the 21st Century. He will just have to overcome an offensive coordinator who only has his job due to nepotism.”

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!