An early camp update on the Michigan football quarterback battle

Michigan senior quarterback Cade McNamara and sophomore J.J. McCarthy are battling it out for the right to start the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado State. As expected, it’s already a neck-and-neck affair.

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Fall camp just started last Wednesday, but both signal callers showed up prepared and ready, determined to win the job. McNamara said it felt like “my team” at Big Ten Media Days weeks ago, and he’s working to back that up.

McCarthy, however, is the more gifted quarterback physically, and he’s now back to 100 percent after a spring shoulder injury.

“I think it’s something that’s going to be a competition. We’ll all see it unfold,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said on the recent In the Trenches podcast with Jon Jansen. “Both have been in the program over a year. That’s usually what it takes to train a quarterback at this type of level in the Big Ten. They’re both going to get the same amount of reps … they’re going to have the same number of reps with the first string as the other guy is going to have with the first string and the second string. It’s cut right down the middle, and they’re both really good.

“I might give the analogy that whatever it is, a 10,000 meter or 1,500-meter race, guys are racing. You see one, he’d be in practice … ‘okay. He’s pulling ahead.’ As soon as I sense that, I see the other guy surge by him. And then the other guy pulls right up next to his shoulder and then the other guy goes ahead. But it’s like they’re getting faster and they’re getting better. There’s nobody that’s passing behind.”

The next day it’s the opposite and the other Michigan quarterback surges … then it’s the other guy the following day.

“It’s like two irons, two swords that are sharpening as iron sharpens iron — biblical. It’s exactly what it looks like to me,” the Michigan coach continued.

It’s rubbed off on the rest of the Michigan players fighting for positions, Harbaugh continued.

“When they see it at the quarterback position and they see it’s competitive, not combative, both guys wanting to do anything they can to help the team … that’s pretty much [what it is],” Harbaugh said. “We started camp, we’re splitting the reps. They’re going to be exactly even now. Shake hands, and let the best man win.

“You also heard [Michigan frosh QB] Alex Orji talk about what kind of room that is. It’s all for one, one for all. So, yeah — could there be a better example? I think that’s the point — it’s really healthy. It couldn’t be more healthy to see that going on in the quarterback room, so high profile.”

Michigan QB battle could linger into game week

Still, it’s going to be tough to determine who gets the nod in the first game. Many close to it believe both Michigan quarterbacks will play in the opener, with McNamara likely to start.

It’s certainly possible, though, that McCarthy wins the job in camp.

“It could come eight, nine practices in. In the past, that’s kind of when you really want to check,” Harbaugh said. “If it’s clear at that point, then we could have a true starter at that point. But it may not. It may go past that, because they’re very close.

“One day it will be Cade; the next day it will be one or the other. Sometimes, it’s shifting within the same practice. We’ll let it play out. There are plenty of enough reps to go around. We’re always a high-rep practice team. We’ll see how it goes.”

There could be a clear starter by the first Michigan game, and that’s the way they’ll play it, Harbaugh noted. But they’re both really good, he said, adding, “that’s a good thing for our team.”

And a great thing for a Michigan offense with so many incredible weapons at the receiver position.