What Makes J.J. McCarthy Michigan's Latest Cant-Miss Prospect?
For the past year-plus that Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been committed to Michigan, everyone has heard about how talented the future Wolverines passer is. According to 247Sports.com, McCarthy checks in as a five-star at his position, and the SI All-American team ranked McCarthy as the No. 2 quarterback at the Elite 11 Finals earlier this month.
So, it is no secret that McCarthy is loaded with talent. But what exactly is it that McCarthy does better than almost all of the other quarterbacks in the country? Wolverine Digest asked a few people that have spent a lot of time with the Michigan commit about what stands out from his game and mental makeup.
Kaden Cobb's Analysis
First, 2022 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick quarterback Kaden Cobb is one prospect that has worked out with McCarthy on numerous occasions. The two have built a strong friendship, and Cobb is even drawing attention from Michigan quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels. With a plethora of workouts to think back to, Cobb shared his take on McCarthy's game.
“His arm strength is next level,” Cobb told Wolverine Digest. “He is worth all of the hype. He puts on a show. I can say he's definitely the best guy that I've ever met. He just cares for everybody. All the stuff you see on Twitter, it's real with him just being a good guy and taking pictures with kids and being a great mentor. It's all 100% there. He is definitely one of the realest dudes I know and can keep it 100% all the time, he and his whole family. His dad was over at my house a weekend ago hanging with my dad, and they're great people. Michigan is getting a great one in him.”
Through these training sessions, Cobb has been able to not only watch McCarthy's mechanics, the speed of his passes and the technical aspects of his game but also some of the intangible areas that aren't always visible from a prospect's highlight tape.
“I look up to him,” Cobb said. “I have been able to learn a lot from him, and I'll definitely bring it over to Fenwick. It's all brotherly love at the end of the day. I wish him the best luck at IMG, and he's going to do great things, I already know.”
Zach Goodall's Analysis
At the Elite 11 Finals, SI All-American was well represented with almost 10 reporters on hand to take in the camp's action-packed sequences. Zach Goodall, who also writes for All Gators, paid close attention to how the Michigan commit fared throughout a series of drills and shared his take on how McCarthy fared.
“McCarthy looked as good as I expected, and I had high expectations,” Goodall said. “Coming in it was clear on tape that he could make every throw on the field and he proved that in an uber-competitive atmosphere. His feet were active and timing was great on most of his throws.”
Throughout the competition, players were asked to throw routes on air, between blocking targets, on the move and basically in every type of situation that would arise during a game situation. Not only did McCarthy meet the challenge, but he elevated his game above many of his peers, which largely explains why he was the No. 2 participant according to SI All-American.
In fact, SI All-American developed a scoring system that placed a grade on each throw that the quarterbacks at the Elite 11 made, and following that criteria McCarthy graded out as the second best player to compete. While another player was crowned the Elite 11 MVP, McCarthy's final position according to the Elite 11 coaches is not known yet. That will become public once the camp's documentary-style series is ready for television. But in either event, that should reflect quite positively on the U-M pledge.
Logan Johnson's Analysis
At the Elite 11 Finals, participants usually throw to wide receivers that were selected to The Opening, but due to COVID-19, the camp was forced to draw from a different pool of high school players to catch passes. That opened the door for 2021 Bogart (Ga.) Prince Avenue Christian School wide receiver Logan Johnson to get some extra work in during the summer.
Johnson has spent time with McCarthy at multiple camps over the last year, so his input spans much more than one individual camp, and Johnson said he has a really good feel for exactly what McCarthy does the best.
“J.J. is a great player and a great leader,” Johnson said. “His arm talent is off the charts, and his football IQ is up there as well. He is obviously one of the top QBs I have seen and been able to work with.”
For wide receivers, sometimes it is fun to adjust to an off-target pass because of the acrobatic receptions that are produced from such a rep. But when McCarthy is under center, that rarely ever happens.
“It's awesome knowing that the ball is going to be placed where it needs to be almost every time, and J.J. did a great job of doing that,” Johnson said.
According to these accounts, it appears that everybody who comes into contact with McCarthy is impressed by his talent. He has a strong arm, can place the ball in tight windows all over the field and has the moxie and charisma to galvanize a football team, even when times are tough. These are the qualities that will shine and translate to the next level, and McCarthy is filled with them.
What are your expectations for McCarthy once he arrives in Ann Arbor as an early enrollee? Do you think he will start in his first two years at Michigan? Let us know!
