Although Michigan often asked McCarthy to run games he could run locally, he was reluctant to do so. He threw one interception in 264 pass attempts over the final 12 games of the 2023 season. Although he wasn’t named captain, he was an unselfish leader — Jim Harbaugh repeatedly said he was not only the program’s best
college QB ever, but his teammates should follow him “to hell and back” — without complaint. a game plans.When given the opportunity, McCarthy excelled as a playmaker. He made some of the best throws of the 2023 college football season in brutally efficient performances at Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State. He threw a touchdown to Roman Wilson in an impossibly
small window against Ohio State. He saved a trick play in Pasadena with an athletic catch and throw. And his 22-yard scramble against Washington in the CFP national title game helped U-M turn the field at a critical time.Summary: McCarthy has hands and athleticism, is a good decision maker, can improvise when needed. and has the intangibles that helped make
Michigan a national champion. While he may not be the go-to passer among other potential first-round draft picks, his combination of attributes gives him a high ceiling.J.J. McCarthy: What NFL Scouts Don’t ceiling.J.J.has been a lot of discussion about J.J. McCarthy’s draft stock will focus on using him on big plays. There’s some real basis for that: He wasn’t the main driver of the offense in Penn State’s top-10 road game, and he’s thrown for more than 150 yards just once in the Wolverines’
last six national championship games. He also threw just four touchdowns over the final seven games of the season. McCarthy showed his talent, but he took far fewer reps on tape (714 pass attempts) than the likes of Caleb Williams (1,108) or Drake Maye (951) or Jayden Daniels (1,025).Although he did add weight. . McCarthy is still a bit thin before the 2023 season begins.
At Michigan, he is listed at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds, which would put him among NFL quarterbacks and raise potential questions about durability.McCarthy has taken on most of the offense in 2023 when the coaches will let him. adjustments and changes to the line of scrimmage. But he’s a difficult grade because of his usage against elite defenses, and that could cause hesitation in the NFL. Michigan certainly doesn’t dispute the results, but NFL teams have valid questions about McCarthy’s future as a potential franchise QB given his role in college..
