‘A warrior’: Cade McNamara’s former team recalls the ‘gravel in his gut’

Cade McNamara’s time at Michigan came to an unceremonious close, with the quarterback electing to enter the transfer portal and look for the opportunity to continue playing college football. Of course, he led the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff appearance. On Thursday, his old allies in Ann Arbor shared what they’ll remember most of Michigan’s McNamara era.

For Blake Corum, it was his competitive spirit and his ability to play through pain.

“He’s a warrior on that field,” Corum said. “He’s a great leader. And he led that team to a Big Ten championship. I expect big things from him at Iowa.”

“I remember sometimes he would go down and he just took a big blow. He’d get up like a soldier and keep pushing because he knew that’s what he had to do as a quarterback. He was a leader. He was the general as a player — he’s a dog.”

Jim Harbaugh puts it simply: The love “hasn’t changed.”

“I have great love for Cade, I’m pulling hard for him,” Harbaugh said. “We go back a long way.”

Harbaugh recalls specifically a game in 2020 against Rutgers, where the Wolverines were down 17-0 with just a few minutes to go in the half. McNamara was banged up, but accounted for five touchdowns and 260 yards passing in a 48-42 overtime win.

“You could see the gravel in his gut,” Harbaugh said. “Then it took off from there. We beat Ohio State [in 2021], won the Big Ten championship.”

“He would be one of those great Michigan men. Now he’s a Hawkeye, but the love hasn’t changed.”

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