Cade McNamara (born May 28, 2000) is an American college football quarterback for the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.

He previously played for the Michigan Wolverines, winning a Big Ten Conference title as the starting quarterback in 2021, and for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

[7][8] McNamara also had offers from Alabama, Georgia, and USC, and credited his choice to Michigan’s head coach Jim Harbaugh.

[12] On November 28, McNamara made his first career start at quarterback, but battled injury, completing 12-of-25 passes for 91 yards in a 27–17 loss to Penn State.

The next week, in the Big Ten Championship Game, McNamara threw for 169 yards in a 42–3 blowout of Iowa, clinching the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

[14] Michigan's 2021 season ended at the Orange Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal, with a 34–11 loss to eventual national champion Georgia.

Despite throwing just four interceptions all season up to that point, McNamara was picked off twice by Georgia and benched late in the game in favor of backup J. J. McCarthy.

After Michigan's regular season finale against Ohio State, McNamara entered the NCAA transfer portal.

[23] On January 18, he instead transferred to East Tennessee State University for his final season, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).