INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff have made no bones about it — redshirt freshman Cade McNamara is the team's starting quarterback until proven otherwise.

The Reno, Nev., native won the job late last season after impressing during relief duty. On the year, McNamara completed 43-of-71 pass attempts for 425 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The sample size has been small, he didn't beat out Joe Milton (who has since transferred to Tennessee) last offseason and the bulk of his playing time came against perennial Big Ten East bottom feeder Rutgers, leaving fans — and likely some of his teammates and coaches — questioning just how good McNamara is.

But he's taken the job and run with it over the last eight months since being injured in the season finale against Penn State, and Harbaugh said that he just won't relent control of the top spot in the room to highly-touted freshman J.J. McCarthy, Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman or freshman Dan Villari.

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McNamara's teammates have rallied around him, as well.

"Most definitely Cade is No. 1," redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins said. "... He’s been doing a great job. I trust him, like that big word, ‘trust.’ I definitely trust Cade. He’s been working, grinding like everybody else on our team. We’re still coming together, and just grinding still to that first game. It’s going to be fun. I definitely like Cade, as well.

"He’s a great leader. He knows what he’s talking about, he knows the game. He’s well-rounded, balanced. He’s been grinding like everybody else on that team. I’m glad that he’s our quarterback."

Just how improved is McNamara, and in what ways has he gotten better? Nobody has been around him this offseason more than his teammates, so the trio of Wolverines — Haskins, junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross — who were sent to Big Ten Media Days are uniquely qualified to answer those questions.

The most common theme: McNamara's enhanced leadership. The traits were there in 2020, when McNamara would be seen shoving guys in the right direction when lining up, screaming out the signals pre-snap, etc. But he's a year older now, has a better grasp of the offense and his teammates, which has allowed him to soar even higher as a leader.

"Cade has really embraced the leadership role and really took it to a different level," Ross said. "He’s been leading. Of course, he was always a hard worker. There was never anything like that — he was always that hard working guy, he was always that go-getter — but he’s really taken that leadership piece, which was always in him, to another level. He always could lead, he’s just doing better now, he’s leading better now. I think that’s the biggest thing he’s shown growth in. And we’ve still got room [to grow].

"This year, he really kind of took it up a notch. He took it to that third gear of really growing and maturing. It’s been a great thing to see. I can’t wait to see him go out there and get it.

"He's really stepped up. I've seen a big difference in him from last year this time of year and now," Hutchinson explained. "Even in our walkthroughs — we have player-led walkthroughs — he's stepping up and having that voice in there. I think it's good to have a solidifying voice on the offensive side. We haven't had that in a while and I think it's good that Cade is in there. He's kind of the rock of the offense right now."

As far as on the field improvement, McNamara, who has always been known as smart, accurate and possessing good instincts, is doing the right things more often than in the past.

"I would say just his consistency. He’s consistent," Ross said when asked where he's seen the biggest strides. "He doesn’t really make a lot of mistakes, and he does his job. You need a quarterback that you can count on and depend on, not only as a leader, but his play, too. That’s what you need, and that’s what Cade brings."

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