J.J. McCarthy‘s love life has been in the spotlight ever since the former Michigan quarterback made a name for himself through his skillful playing abilities, especially after he led the Wolverines to a national championship title in 2023.
As the star quarterback prepares to fight for the starting quarterback position in the preseason games during his rookie year, his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, will continue extending her constant support for the 21-year-old.
Who Is J.J. McCarthy’s Fiancée Katya Kuropas?
Like many fan-favorite love stories, Kuropas and McCarthy are high school sweethearts who have stayed together through various ups and downs. The couple first made their relationship public in 2018 during McCarthy’s sophomore year at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill., when Kuropas kept attending his high school games to cheer on her boyfriend.
While wishing the love of his life a happy birthday in 2019, McCarthy wrote that he’s the “lucky one to be dating this girl,” contrary to what many people would believe owing to his popularity in the football world.
However, things took a turn when McCarthy’s high school shut down the football program because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the star quarterback’s transfer to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., as a senior.
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The transfer meant that Kuropas and McCarthy would have to work on their relationship more as they survived long distance for a while. That stage of their relationship ended when he committed to Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan and arrived in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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Since then, the Vikings quarterback and Kuropas have been setting super couple goals for the fans through their constant praise and heartfelt letters to each other on social media.
In 2022, McCarthy expressed his gratitude for having Kuropas by his side and thanked his lucky stars for allowing him to experience life with his lady love while calling her his “best friend,” who pushes him to be his best self both on and off the field.
On Jan. 20, 2024, McCarthy got down on one knee and popped the most critical question in a couple’s life. They announced their engagement with photos they took at the beach while twinning in white and posing with their furry friend with the caption “Me, You & Marley Forever & Ever.”
JJ McCarthy is engaged to his girlfriend, Katya Kuropas
Congrats to the happy couple! pic.twitter.com/7ntFX1q5cI
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) January 20, 2024
After repeatedly showing up to cheer on the former Michigan star, Kuropas recently made an appearance at the Vikings’ training camp, donning a purple top and blue shorts and sharing a heartwarming kiss with the backup quarterback, who will take the field in Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders.