New Michigan Man: QB Cade McNamara Commits to Michigan

Michigan’s big Junior Day recruiting event this weekend in Ann Arbor started with some early fireworks as 2019 Damonte Ranch (NV) QB Cade McNamara has committed to Michigan just a couple weeks after decommitting from Notre Dame.

Commitment

Scouting Report

McNamara’s skill set matches his offer list. He isn’t the biggest, fastest, strongest armed quarterback but he excels in all of those aspects. With a similar style to other shorter, not super-athletic, pocket passing quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Jake Fromm, he shows off fantastic pocket awareness and the ability to make all the throws.throughout his tape. That includes throws from different levels, angles, with pressure, and on the run. He still has to tighten up his mechanics and decision making under pressure but you can see why the top programs and coaches in the country offered him.

McNamara has a strong arm and can dissect defenses from the pocket, but he’s capable of hitting receivers in stride when rolling out as well. He flashes a quick release without sacrificing precision or accuracy, can stay in to take a hit and shows a great feel for putting the ball only where his teammates can make a play. McNamara isn’t the most mobile player out there, but he’s able to use his legs effectively to buy time and doesn’t lose much zip while throwing off the wrong foot. He’s tremendously effective on throws to the perimeter and fits passes into tight windows over the middle, knowing when to look off linebackers and safeties to find his weapons. His leadership qualities inside the huddle and on the sideline make McNamara an even bigger coup, especially considering that he shows a great understanding of offensive concepts and can recognize defenses at the line of scrimmage. From a pure arm standpoint, McNamara is among the top group out West and should be considered a notable recruiting win early on for the Wolverines.” – 247Sports’ Blair Angulo

Recruitment

Like a lot of quarterback recruits, McNamara made his first commitment pretty early on in the process. He camped at Notre Dame and received an offer in June and was commtited to the Fighting Irish by mid-July. But that only lasted 8 months as he decommitted from Brian Kelly after receiving offers from Michigan, USC and Alabama. And he didn’t take long to figure out his new destination as he made the trip to Ann Arbor soon after receiving his offer from the staff and announced his commitment to the Wolverines to kick off the program’s Junior Day recruiting weekend in mid-March.

McNamara would join a quarterback room with plenty of talent in every class in Ann Arbor as every scholarship quarterback on the current roster is eligible to return in 2019, including Shea Patterson and Brandon Peters. It may take some time for him to see the field but with his arm talent and competitiveness, he’s a guy that should fight for the starting gig in his sophomore season and beyond.

  • Height: 6’1”
  • Weight: 185lbs
  • Hometown (School): Reno, NV (Damonte Ranch)
  • Notable Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, USC, Georgia
  • Rankings: Rivals (4*, #9 Pro-QB) – 247Sports (4*, #302 overall) – ESPN (3*, #296 overall)
  • Composite Ranking: Four star, #316 Overall, #9 Pro-QB, #1 in Nevada

Highlights/Interviews

As for the Rest of the Class

McNamara is the 6th overall commitment, the 1st quarterback commitment and the 1st commitment out of Nevada. But he probably won’t be the last quarterback in the is class as Michigan still looks to be in fantastic shape with in-state QB Sam Johnson and is in good shape with QB Paul Tyson. He may also not be the last commit this weekend as the staff’s Junior Day could result in multiple commitments, with all eyes being on OL William Harrod. CB Tyler Nubin is another visitor who could be a name to watch.

Photo Credit: Cade McNamara/Twitter

Garrett Fishaw