Michigan O.C. Josh Gattis grooming a two-headed monster at quarterback

During a 42-27 Michigan drubbing of Ohio State, freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw a laser to freshman receiver Roman Wilson. Redshirt frosh Cade McNamara replaced him on the next play, but not before pointing and giving him the nod of approval. 

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As the year has progressed, so has the Michigan quarterback room. McNamara has gone from uncertain first-year starter to confident leader. McCarthy evolved from “cowboy” frosh to a more poised version of himself, able to strike with his arm or his feet. 

The room is competitive, but it’s brought out the best in both Michigan signal callers. 

“I think once J.J. started to play calm and relaxed … there was a point early in the year where he felt like he needed to go in and he had to create the wild play,” offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said. “And he had to create the exciting play. But that’s not necessarily the case. We’re getting him to play within the system, getting him to play calm and relaxed. And he’s really grown as a quarterback. 

“He’s such a phenomenal athlete and phenomenal thrower, but he doesn’t have to go in and just throw the deep ball or create a play. He’s understanding he can rely on the play calls and the players around him to create those plays. He’s done a tremendous job developing himself.”

With McNamara’s help, along with quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss.

But both quarterbacks put in ridiculous hours over the summer on their own in preparation. That’s given Michigan a room to envy. 

“[McCarthy] can’t have a better role model to look up to than Cade McNamara because you see Cade, who’s a complete quarterback,” Gattis said. “Cade has done a tremendous job leading our team. He’s very smart in how he approaches everything and his preparation. His leadership skills are phenomenal, and he’s a guy that really makes everyone around him better because they have tremendous support and faith and belief in him.

“Cade has done a tremendous job bringing J.J. along. And it’s so important that I must acknowledge … when you have two players like Cade and J.J. Just the unselfishness of those two guys has allowed us to be where we are today, because when you’re going through a situation where you’re playing multiple quarterbacks, that can either make or break your team.”

They’ve been able to keep both quarterbacks’ confidence up, and they’ve done a “tremendous job” handling everything on their plate. 

There’s no question, though, that McNamara is one of the team’s top leaders. Though not a Michigan captain, the third-year Wolverine might as well be. He’s the “old-school junkyard dog,” Gattis said — and that’s a good thing. 

“He’s going to scrap for everything. He’s going to outwork anybody and everyone he possibly can and prepare himself at a very high level to lead this team,” Gattis said. “So, we’re very, very fortunate that we have the type of quarterback room that we have there. And I think Coach Weiss has done a tremendous job managing that room and creating an atmosphere in that room that’s togetherness.”

At some point, though, he’s going to have two quarterbacks who want to start and play. That’s when things will get interesting. As former Michigan O.C. Pep Hamilton once said, it’s easy to tell kids to wait their turn — getting them to is much tougher. 

This year, though, it’s worked to near perfection. Both quarterbacks have provided key plays, and the duo has Michigan on the doorstep of a national championship. 

Next year’s issues can wait until next year. 

“I think that’s really been the key to our success offensively is how cohesive everyone plays,” Gattis said. “As a coordinator, I don’t have to deal with the issues of someone coming in asking for the ball or asking for playing time because we’ve got tremendous leadership on our offense. We’ve got tremendous players, and they’ve done a great job accepting everyone’s role.”