Two Michigan Football Quarterbacks Rank Among Top 100 Since 2000

There have been some incredible quarterbacks come through Ann Arbor in the history of the program. Michigan has been known for its smash-mouth rushing attack, but don't count out the gunslingers to make passes when needed.

In fact, ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked the top 100 quarterbacks since the year 2000 in college football, and the Wolverines had two of them on the list.

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No. 100 J.J. McCarthy (2021-23)

Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the second half vs. Ohio State. — Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Stats: 6,226 passing yards, 68% completion rate, 49 TD, 11 INT, 632 rushing yards, 10 TD

McCarthy was one of the most decorated recruits Jim Harbaugh signed during his tenure in Ann Arbor. McCarthy could've gone to any college he wanted, but he knew he wanted to be a Michigan man, and after a stellar three-year career, McCarthy is in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.

During his three-year career with Michigan, McCarthy led the Wolverines to three College Football Playoff appearances and won the whole thing in 2023. He was the 2023 Big Ten QB of the Year and finished in the top 10 of the Heisman voting.

He was a two-time All-Big Ten award winner in the two seasons he started for the Maize and Blue. McCarthy was a big part of the culture shift in Ann Arbor.

"It was always difficult to figure out how to evaluate McCarthy, who just wasn't asked to do as much as some of his peers thanks to elite defense and a relentless running game. But he still finished 2023 third in Total QBR, and he went 27-1 as a starter. That seems decent, yeah," wrote Connelly.

No. 58 Denard Robinson (2009-12)

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson (16) waits for the snap. — Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Stats: 6,250 passing yards, 57% completion rate, 49 TD, 39 INT, 4,495 rushing yards, 42 TD

Shoelace was one of the bright spots in a dark age of Michigan football. Starting out under Rich Rodriguez, Robinson turned into one of the stars in college football as he transitioned under new head coach Brady Hoke.

Robinson appeared in 49 career games and started 35 of those at QB, with the other two at RB during the late portion of his career. Robinson has the NCAA record for career rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,495 yards. He wasn't the most accurate passer in the nation, but he was able to get the job done through the air, throwing for 6,250 yards and 49 scores.

"Maybe the single-best moment of the Rich Rod era at Michigan was signing Robinson, who captured fans' imaginations and averaged more than 2,000 passing yards and 1,300 rushing yards over his last three seasons. We're used to stats like that now. We weren't a decade ago. We weren't 15 years ago," wrote Connelly.