Former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara to transfer to Iowa
From Michigan championship quarterback to backup to out for the season with an injury to … Iowa. That’s the story for Cade McNamara, who had knee surgery not long ago to repair an injury suffered in the non-conference game with UConn.
LINK: TheWolverine.com Thursday chat
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McNamara has given his commitment to Kirk Ferentz and will join the Hawkeyes next season.
A senior, McNamara led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title under Jim Harbaugh and a berth in the College Football Playoff last season. He threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions in 14 games and led Michigan to its first Big Ten title since 2004. He also helped U-M beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011, a 42-27 win in Ann Arbor.
McNamara had his “best fall camp” per Harbaugh, but sophomore J.J. McCarthy picked up his play and pulled even by the end of August. He earned the right to start the Hawai’i game, and McNamara didn’t react well.
He seemed to feel the pressure in the opener with Colorado State. He completed 50 percent of his passes for 136 yards, but he missed several throws and wasn’t in rhythm.
McCarthy enjoyed a coming out party against Hawaii, meanwhile, completing 11 of 12 passes with three scores. He has started every game since the second contest and led Michigan to a 45-23 victory over Ohio State in Columbus.
McNamara said earlier this year the injury dated back to last season. He was pictured in a wheelchair with a wrap and brace on his right leg, and looked in good spirits before announcing it on Instagram.
“I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for the love and support,” the Michigan signal-caller 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!”
Watch for more on this development in the hours to come …
