Jim Harbaugh makes Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith comparisons with Michigan QB situation

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh had to deal with questions around the quarterback situation in Ann Arbor throughout the summer and two games into the 2022 college football season. 

Harbaugh did himself no favors, choosing to give both redshirt junior Cade McNamara and sophomore J.J McCarthy a start in Michigan’s first two games before deciding on the permanent starter moving forward.

McNamara, the quarterback who led Michigan to the Big Ten title and beat Ohio State for the first time since 2001, was decent in his Week 1 start against Colorado State. He completed nine of 18 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 51-7 win. 

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But it was McCarthy who shined the brightest, receiving the Week 2 start against Hawaii and earning the starting job moving forward with a “near flawless performance.”

McCarthy went 11-for-12 passing for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the first half before sitting the rest of the game. 

During his post-game press conference, Harbaugh compared the quarterback battle at Michigan to the one he oversaw in the NFL as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. 

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“It’s very similar, very similar to that, with Alex and Colin [Kaepernick], because they were both playing great at one point in the season,” Harbaugh said. “Alex Smith, he was playing great ball. Just led us to the NFC championship the year before, and then Colin got his start on a Monday night against Chicago. And he lit it up.

“So, yeah, it’s not a matter of somebody losing (the job). I think we got two really good quarterbacks, two starting quarterbacks, two championship quarterbacks. A lot like that Monday night game that Colin played against the Bears, that looked a lot like what J.J. was able to do.”

In 2012, Kaepernick replaced an injured Smith during San Francisco’s Week 10 game and never looked back. Kaepernick would go on to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance against the Baltimore Ravens. The move by Harbaugh came one year after Smith led the 49ers to a 13-3 record and an NFC West division title. Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs after the season. 

McCarthy will now get his chance to lead the No. 4 Wolverines as Michigan prepares for UConn in Week 4 before starting its Big Ten schedule. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.