JJ McCarthy And His Mamba Mentality

JJ McCarthy has been laser-focused all year and when you hear him talk, it's not surprising.

Despite not putting up gaudy numbers, JJ McCarthy is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That's significant and there are a few reasons. 

One, is that Michigan is 8-0 and absolutely drilling people and McCarthy is a big reason for it. Two, is just that — Michigan is No. 2 in the country per the AP Poll and may end up being No. 1 when the first College Football Playoff rankings come out. Three, is that McCarthy is damn good even though his numbers aren't necessarily eye-popping. Through eight games, McCarthy is 132-of-169 (78.1%) for 1,799 yards and 18 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He's been more efficient than any quarterback in the country and his stats are just good enough to put him in the driver's seat for college football's most iconic trophy.

McCarthy himself isn't really concerned about the Heisman right now, but it is something he's thought about before.

"I could care less about [leading for the Heisman,]" McCarthy said. "I don't really care about trophies; I care about championships. And that’s the same thing that this entire team cares about. So it's tremendous honor but we're going to still focus on our goals and getting better every single day."

And McCarthy thinks that way because of his favorite athletes. We've heard him talk about Tom Brady before, who is one of the craziest competitors ever. And earlier today, he mentioned one of the all-time greats when it comes to work ethic, focus and preparation.

"That comes from just studying the greats. One of the greats I study was Kobe," McCarthy said. "When he would step on the court, he said it was like a gladiator picking up the dirt and smelling it. I just try to switch my mindset into that similar of his. When I step in between those white lines, it's war, like the warrior is coming out. Trying to do all the things during the week to maintain that and then when it comes out on Saturdays, it's a whole different person."

McCarthy is arguably one of the nicest young dudes in the sport of college football, but when he's on the field, he's a killer. He's cut from the same cloth as those elite competitors and he's one of the biggest reasons Michigan is rolling in 2023.