ANN ARBOR, Mich. – J.J. McCarthy, one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Michigan football program, is heading to the NFL after three seasons.
McCarthy said on Sunday that he will be entering the NFL instead of attending his last year of eligibility at Ann Arbor. Given that he recently lead the Wolverines to their greatest-ever season, the timing seems ideal
When McCarthy joined Michigan following the 2020 season, he was just what Jim Harbaugh and the team needed. He was a part of the 2021 squad that ended an 18-year conference title drought and defeated Ohio State for the first time in ten years.
Following his 2022 triumph as the starting quarterback, McCarthy went 27-1 over the course of two seasons, earning two Big Ten crowns, a perfect 20-0 record in Big Ten play, a Rose Bowl victory against Alabama, and a national championship. He also had victories over Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State.ns, 11 interceptions, and 632 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career while running the ball.
He completed 72.3% of his pass attempts for a career-high 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns during the national championship season. In addition to running for an extra 202 yards and three touchdowns, he only threw four interceptions.
The most memorable events of McCarthy’s career were on the greatest stages of college football, such as when he led a 75-yard touchdown drive in the final seconds of the Rose Bowl game and scored four touchdowns on his one and only visit to Ohio State.
However, McCarthy’s greatest legacy will be that of a victor. McCarthy did everything it needed to win a championship, whether it meant backing up Blake Corum for part of the season or sacrificing his Heisman Trophy chances in order to win at Penn State.
Harbaugh called him the greatest quarterback Michigan has ever had, and it’s hard to argue with the results. McCarthy arrived when the program was at a breaking point, and he leaves as a national champion.
