J.J. McCarthy Lived Up To The Hype, Now He's Off To The NFL

The hard part is saying goodbye. Michigan just completed the greatest season in school history, going 15-0 and winning their first outright National Championship in decades. Michigan came into this season with the most experienced roster in all of college football, and now that the season is over, it's tough seeing all these players we've grown accustomed to announce that they're moving onto the NFL. The one that people are wondering about is quarterback JJ McCarthy. This upcoming draft class is rich with quarterbacks, and while there will definitely be a spot for JJ in the NFL, some people wondered whether or not he'd come back for one more round. He will not be back in Michigan next year. J.J. McCarthy is going pro, and as much of a hit as that is for Michigan's roster next year, it's hard not to be grateful. 

Michigan lucked out with JJ. McCarthy. This program was in shambles during the COVID year, and many people were just waiting for him to announce his de-commitment from Michigan. He was never going anywhere. Jim Harbaugh found the one quarterback who was hell-bent on being his quarterback. Three years later, J.J. McCarthy leaves Ann Arbor with a 27-and-1 record as a starting quarterback. His numbers in the National Championship were relatively pedestrian, though his moment came in the Rose Bowl when he was the best player on the field. He went undefeated against Ohio State as well. He is not solely responsible for Michigan's success over the last three years, but it's not a coincidence that this program changed the second he stepped on campus. There is an aura to greatness that extends beyond just the stat sheet.

As much as it might bother people, Michigan will never have a 4000-yard, 40-yard touchdown quarterback as long as Jim Harbaugh is the coach. Michigan football has its identity. They run the ball and establish the line of scrimmage. It's an offense built around the team and not just one guy, but with that said, any person who believes that J.J. McCarthy was a game manager has rocks in their head. If winning at a high level as a game manager at Michigan was that easy, then Joe Milton, Shea, Patterson, Brandon Peters, John O'Korn, Wilton Speight, and Jake Rudock would've done it under Jim Harbaugh years ago. J.J. was the guy. He was the true playmaker that they needed a quarterback. No, he never put up Joe Burrow numbers, but he was everything they needed him to b

I don't know what kind of quarterback JJ McCarthy will be in the NFL. It wouldn't surprise me if his draft stock went up over the next few months. He strikes me as a guy who will crush those pre-draft interviews. He has a tremendous head on his shoulders and has shown great leadership in the past. Like I said, this is a very good quarterback class, so he could also get lost in the shuffle, but I'm confident he'll put his best foot forward. 

I'm confident that J.J. McCarthy could've gone to another program and put up better numbers. His teams may not have been as successful, but he could've earned more individual accolades. That wasn't what he had in mind. He showed his flashes of brilliance while also helping lead a team with all the pieces necessary to win a championship. He helped reestablish a culture and followed through on his promise to get Michigan back to the promised land. In the 144-year history of Michigan football, the list of quarterbacks who led Michigan to a 15-0 record is pretty short. It's J.J. McCarthy. That's the list. Thanks for everything.