Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy enters the NFL Draft as a bit of a polarizing prospect. He was very successful at college but didn’t throw nearly as many passes as the other top quarterbacks. Let’s explore McCarthy’s football journey and see just how he became the NFL talent that he is.
Where Did J.J. McCarthy’s Football Career Start?
Born in La Grange Park, Ill., McCarthy initially went to high school at Nazareth Academy. He started at QB for two years, leading his school to a 26-2 record. Both years, Nazareth made the IHSA Class 7A State Championship Game. They won the state title in 2018, McCarthy’s sophomore year.
Due to the pandemic, Nazareth’s football season was canceled in 2020. McCarthy, not wanting to take a year off from playing, transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. All he did at IMG was go 8-0 and capture a high school football national championship.
McCarthy was viewed as one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation. He was a five-star recruit and received offers from a staggering 34 schools. Interestingly, those weren’t the first offers he ever received. As an eighth grader, McCarthy showed so much promise that Iowa State offered him a scholarship.
McCarthy committed to Michigan in May 2019, ultimately enrolling ahead of the 2021 season.
Revisiting McCarthy’s College Career
Despite being such a highly touted college recruit, McCarthy did not start right away. He did appear in 11 games as a true freshman but only attempted 59 passes the entire year.
As a sophomore, McCarthy still wasn’t able to completely take hold of the starting quarterback role. His competition with Cade McNamara extended into the start of the season.
After McNamara earned the Week 1 start, McCarthy was given the opportunity to start in Week 2. His impressive performance against Hawaii prompted head coach Jim Harbaugh to name McCarthy the starter for the remainder of the season.
As a sophomore, McCarthy completed 208 of 322 passes for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns, throwing just five interceptions. He led Michigan to an undefeated regular season. Unfortunately, despite a career-high 343 passing yards in the Fiesta Bowl, Michigan fell to TCU, ending their bid for a National Championship.
J.J. McCarthy channelling his inner Patrick Mahomes 👀
— College Football Network (@CFN365) November 19, 2022
In his junior year, McCarthy stepped his game up even more. He completed a stunning 72.3% of his passes, throwing for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
McCarthy’s second consecutive undefeated season had a different conclusion this time around, with Michigan completing the perfect season and winning a National Championship.
Following their victory over Washington, McCarthy declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. He did so with a 27-1 collegiate record as a starter. His 96.4% winning percentage was the third-best by a college QB in history.
McCarthy’s Potential in the NFL
While there aren’t many knocks on McCarthy’s profile, he didn’t get many opportunities to showcase his arm talent in Michigan’s run-heavy offense. McCarthy averaged just 22.1 pass attempts per game his junior year. In the national title game, McCarthy attempted just 18 passes and threw for 140 scoreless yards.
PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings has several good things to say about McCarthy but does have some concerns.
“Far more than once, McCarthy reassured onlookers with his development in 2023, showing improved pocket poise, mechanical rhythm, decision-making, and active anticipation and field manipulation.
“While McCarthy is better now than he was heading out of 2022, lapses on the operational side still occur. He’s still not quite as consistent as preferred as a processor and decision-maker, and it’s worth wondering if he’s ready to elevate an NFL squad as a franchise quarterback.”
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of J.J. McCarthy
With that said, McCarthy is unquestionably one of the four best QBs in this year’s draft. He’s also only 21 years old.
“Factoring in McCarthy’s youth and combining it with his talent and operational flashes, he has a strong case to contend to be QB3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“In the right scheme — one that gives McCarthy easy solutions early on while also playing to his primary strengths of arm talent, creation capacity, and fearlessness over the middle — he can be an early NFL starter, with impact starter upside.”
McCarthy’s Highlights, Records, and More
If you ask McCarthy what his favorite accomplishment was, he would undoubtedly tell you winning the national championship in an undefeated final season at Michigan. But McCarthy’s accolades are not limited to his team.
After earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, he was first-team All-Big Ten in 2023 and named Big Ten Quarterback of the Year.
McCarthy’s performance in the most recent Rose Bowl was worthy of the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP Award.
There are going to be at least four quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. History suggests at least one of them will bust.
However, that shouldn’t deter a team in need of a quarterback from taking a chance on a young athlete with a very high ceiling. McCarthy is far more likely to emerge into a franchise QB than turn into the next Zach Wilson.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
Draft with your friends today! PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator now supports multiple drafters during the same draft! Find out how the PFN Scouting Department ranks this year’s prospects with our 2024 NFL Draft Big Board and follow along throughout the draft with our NFL team needs tracker.
