Michigan quarterback update: J.J. McCarthy is no longer limited, both contenders are improved

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan Wolverines football quarterback competition is on. The Maize and Blue are four practices into fall camp, and while senior Cade McNamara is the starter as it stands now, sophomore J.J. McCarthy is getting his shot to win the job.

McCarthy spent most of the offseason limited due to shoulder soreness. He was on a “pitch count” during spring ball, but now he’s full go and repping the same as the other Michigan quarterbacks, including McNamara.

“We monitor all of our guys, in terms of how many throws they have in practice, even Cade,” Michigan co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss said Sunday. “We put a lot into that, in terms of not only the kind of reps but also making sure that everything they take out, they’re putting back in with exercises.

“Throwing is stress on the arm. Just the act of throwing the ball — it’s a weighted object, and it’s unweighted deceleration. So we do everything we can to make sure they’re putting everything back into their arms and taking care of their bodies. J.J. is on the exact same plan as everybody else.”

McCarthy and some of his classmates, including running back Donovan Edwards and wide receiver Andrel Anthony, threw after returning home from multiple road games last season, including in the wee hours of the night. Michigan has put a stop to that to make sure the Wolverines’ quarterbacks don’t overextend themselves.

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As for the battle itself, both Michigan quarterbacks have gotten better this offseason, Weiss said, and optimism surrounding the position is high .

“J.J. is definitely working his way back into it,” Weiss explained. “We’re blessed to have both guys who would start at most places, and we have two really good quarterbacks, and the best player is going to play.

“I would say both are really improved. You look at last fall, Cade has improved physically. Just like any player, he got better mentally with experience, and he’s playing at a really high level. J.J. has done the same thing, so we’re in a great position with both of those guys.”

The tangibles and the intangibles will determine who wins the starting job, and a platoon — similar to last season, when McNamara started and McCarthy rotated in — is possible as well.

McNamara threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions last season. McCarthy, the more mobile player with a bigger arm, added a different element to the offense, passed for 516 yards and five touchdowns with two picks. He also rushed for 124 yards and two scores.

Weiss laid out what Michigan looks for in a starting quarterback and how the staff evaluates the players.

“The way I kind of look at it is, first of all, you have two things that you can’t really do much about. You can improve them, certainly, but it’s hard to really move the needle — which is mobility and arm strength,” Weiss noted. “You either can throw a football 70 yards or you can’t. And you can either run a certain speed or be able to cut, or you can’t. So you always look at that, knowing that those things aren’t going to change.

“And we also look at accuracy, timing, decision making. Those are things that you know you can potentially improve more. That’s how you look at the skill set.

Added the Michigan coordinator: “Mobility and arm strength, knowing that those things are a little bit more fixed. Accuracy, timing, decision making, knowing that you can kind of shape those things a little bit more. And then obviously, the intangibles — leadership, what type of guy is he, is he a winner, all of the things that you want your quarterback to be. 

“And really all the stuff we have with our guys, with Cade, you’d certainly say all those things about him. He’s a winner, he has all those intangibles, and that’s what you look for.”