Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara enters the transfer portal
As expected, but maybe a bit sooner than hoped, Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara has entered the transfer portal.
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The senior captain helped lead U-M to a Big Ten title last year, but lost his job to sophomore J.J. McCarthy in the non-conference. He struggled a bit in his first few games while McCarthy opened it up and dominated against Hawaii.
McNamara then got hurt in the third game with UConn, a knee injury that required surgery. He’s been rehabbing since, reportedly in California.
McNamara’s first significant game action came in 2020, and it was memorable. He led Michigan back from 17 down at Rutgers in the COVID season, completing 27 of 36 passes for 260 yards with four touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a double-overtime win. He took the job from Joe Milton, who struggled as the starter to that point.
The Nevada native then won the starting job the following year and took control of the offense. He led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title since 2004 and the first win over Ohio State since 2011. McNamara finished the season 210-of-327 for 2,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, getting spelled at times by McCarthy.
His gem came last year against Ohio State. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 159 yards — not gaudy numbers — but managed the game expertly and hit on several big plays.
McNamara had a great fall camp, per head coach Jim Harbaugh, and was the leader for the starting job until the last week of camp or so, when McCarthy pulled even. Harbaugh gave both quarterbacks a chance to start a game in the non-conference. McNamara completed 9 of 18 passes for 136 yards and a score but didn’t seem comfortable in a 51-7 win over Colorado State. He was sacked twice and threw a pick against Hawaii when McCarthy went 11-for-12 with three touchdowns, and sacked and hit again the following week vs. UConn.
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One of those hits did some damage to his knee, and he was initially expected to miss a few weeks. Instead, McNamara had a setback that required surgery.
The quarterback revealed he played injured last season, as well, and that his injury early this year required an operation. McNamara was pictured in a wheelchair with a wrap and brace on his right leg, and looked in good spirits several weeks ago.
“I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for the love and support,” the Michigan senior wrote in the caption. “Turns out, I have been dealing with a serious injury since the middle of last season. Then after suffering another serious knee injury this season, my goal was to get back on the field as soon as possible.
“Sadly, I was unable to heal properly, but thanks to Dr. ElAttrache he was able to help me determine exactly what I needed to do to come back the best version of myself. What lies ahead is a lot of work and rehab, but I will come back better than ever!”
He’ll just be doing it at a different school.
Watch for more on this development in the hours to come …
