JJ McCarthy — New And Improved

Michigan's starting quarterback is preparing for his junior season and it sounds like he's going to be the best version of himself so far.

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy stormed onto the scene last year in game No. 1 and won the starting job by a landslide. Now, as a junior, McCarthy is the true starter, with no distractions, and he could not be more excited about how this spring is going compared to last year.

"It’s been absolutely amazing. Like, just effortless. It feels like everything’s in harmony. Just being able to be solidified as the guy, it’s a complete honor, " he said. "And I’m happy that I’ve worked to get that position. But it’s just been so much easier to be on the same page with the guys that I throw to coming this season, and just building up the chemistry has been amazing. So definitely, this spring has been great."

McCarthy is also more physically prepared for his junior campaign. He's never been the biggest quarterback in the world, but he's growing into his body more and more each day and should be better prepared to utilize the legs that make him so dangerous as a runner.

"I was playing at like 193 last year, now I’m around like 207, 205 — fluctuating in that range. So yeah, [Coach Ben Herbert] definitely did a good job and there are some outside influences for sure, too.

"It’s just helped me with my growth — I'm bigger, stronger, faster — every single year just trying to improve those areas of my game. And yeah, I don’t know how it’s going to [help], but I know it’s going to be for the better."

Michigan is loaded across the board and guys like McCarthy seem to know it. There really isn't a weakness on this team and the maturing signal caller knows that he and his offense should be really, really good. As the locked-in starter, McCarthy can't wait for the fall to start stacking up wins.

"[Being the starter in the spring has a] tremendous, tremendous impact because it just feels like I have a solid foundation right now," he said. "And it’s so much easier to grow upon that foundation when it’s safe, secure and just being able to know where I’m at. There’s no like — I’m not in my head as much, everything’s happening so effortlessly now.

"Just with the preparation coming into the season, like we still have fall camp to prepare for, too, for the season, and it’s just going to do wonders for me. I just can’t wait to see how the season plays out because of it."