J.J. McCarthy Played hockey as a kid, then moved to Florida and attended IMG Academy. Considered the #2 pro-style QB in the 2021 class.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 218 lbs
Hometown: Illinois
College Career
McCarthy had debuted as a true freshman at Michigan, backing up Cade McNamara. Started the past two seasons. Won the 2023 National Championship and was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Award.
Stats
2,991 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, 202 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns
Strengths
- Good accuracy
- can extend plays with his legs when needed mobile in the pocket, good awareness under pressure
- effective in play-action offense
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent deep ball
- can be too quick to leave the pocket
- needs to improve pre-snap reads
- second and subsequent reads are noticeably slower than first
Summary
J.J. McCarthy is a fairly creative and athletic quarterback. At Michigan, he was not asked to do too much, and he was comfortable in an offense with a lot of play-action plays where he needed to make quick, short throws. He is most comfortable throwing to the middle of the field on slant and cross routes. He can escape pressure with his feet, but he will not be a dual-threat QB. He throws all his passes with the same velocity and is noticeably worse throwing to the sidelines, which limits the offense's potential. He needs to improve his ability to read defenses and recognize blitzes. His frame has limited potential for muscle mass gain, and some scouts have expressed concerns that he could be injury-prone.
Projection
McCarthy's draft stock ranges from a second-round pick to a top-10 selection.
