J.J McCarthy 6’2 1/2 219 Michigan

Overview

As a true freshman in 2021, McCarthy went 34-59 for 516 yards with 5 TD & 2 INT. Took over as the starter in 2022 was excellent from the jump. Ended up going 26-2 as a starter throwing for 6,226 yards 49 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions across 713 passing attempts completing 68% of his passes. Rushed for over 600 yards with 10 touchdowns on the ground. Rated the #2 Pro Style QB in the country as a Senior in HS. Led Nazareth HS (Ill) to three consecutive state title game berths, winning the state title as a sophomore. Transferred to IMG Academy (Fla) as a Senior. Elite 11 invite. Avid Hockey player throughout his youth. Took over/beat out incumbent QB Cade McNamara entering 2022. Shares many similarities with Jim Harbaugh (personality, leadership style, playing style, upbringing) It was my contention that Jim Harbaugh saw himself in J.J and Jim really would love to coach him at the NFL level as well.

Trait Grades (McCarthy)

Arm Talent (A-) Toughness (A) Anticipation (A-) Arm Strength (A-) Pocket Presence (B+) Football IQ (A)

Ball Placement (A-) Intangibles/Off Field (A) Touch (B) Delivery/Mechanics (A-) Running/Athleticism (A-)

Throw on Run (A) 

Tape Analysis

Only quarterback in class who legitimately operated an NFL style offense in terms of what he was asked to do from a mechanical, scheme, protection & conceptual perspective. This equates to McCarthy being the most ready to play prospect in the 2024 QB class. The counterpoint here is that he was not asked to operate the Michigan system with high level volume, was tasked more with game management and guiding the ship. So in order to project McCarthy properly we need to dissect the type of throws he made while at Michigan. Outstanding pocket presence. Natural setup initially across multiple drops (3 step, 5 step -hitch/no hitch & deep play action) and when pressure arises, McCarthy navigates with ease of movement, fluidity & a sense of calm. The level at which McCarthy is able to function in this regard is rare from QB prospects. The only other prospects I’ve scouted since 2016 who have had this refined ability were Lamar Jackson & Patrick Mahomes. On designed movement plays (boot variations, sprint out) McCarthy has top tier spatial awareness instincts, the ability to create space (reduction, extension, drifting) to ensure that the play is not blown up dead and he is able to get the ball out of his hand in the best way possible. This trait can also be called “natural athleticism” and is something that pops on film if you are able to recognize it.

Mechanically sound across multiple areas (footwork, eye usage, throwing motion/release & internal clock. Operates at a high level NFL starter already in terms of off-script movement (part of pocket presence) and being both decisive & accurate with the football in these otherwise chaotic scenarios. Pocket awareness/comfort & ability to sit in it while going deep into progression was present in spades for McCarthy albeit mostly against weaker competition. Against more athletic & powerful defensive lines, this issue was magnified (Alabama, Washington) and the film showed McCarthy looking to escape an otherwise clean pocket or missing opportunities to slide or step up into a window to throw. An issue to monitor moving forward. If this shows up more at NFL level we could be looking at a Mark Sanchez like situation.

Struggles consistently to layer the football with touch when required & there are multiple instances on film where this rigid trajectory them results in incomplete passes or missed opportunities within the underneath game. Was not a huge problem targeting the intermediate & deep levels while at Michigan, but with the speed of NFL defenders it could be a problem if not addressed/corrected. Has a real tendency to lock onto his primary (pre-snap target) if he is forced to deal with immediate pressure in conjunction with zone underneath coverage (Indiana, Alabama & Washington film) McCarthy’s tendency was to hurry up & force the football into his primary or hurry up & look to move, most often into more pressure. The fix here is for McCarthy to be more calm in these instances & use his feet to setup, survey, step up & remain focused down the field to find the open guy. Mechanically, he is very polished but his release can become somewhat elongated which could give NFL defenders an extra moment to break on his throws. He does a good job of throwing his guys open but he will need to make it a point of emphasis to throw to spots so his receivers can catch the ball in stride as opposed to just looking to fit the ball into a tight window which will result in more interceptions at the next level. A very sound decision maker who does not force the football much.

Athletically, McCarthy is a threat. A terrific movement thrower with natural athleticism to get his body in a good position to throw on demand moving either right or left. Effortless in this regard with the two prime examples coming vs Alabama in the CFB playoff & at Nebraska (both times McCarthy was moving left & made spectacular throws in-stride to his target. Authentic, unselfish leader who truly only cares about winning. Personal accolades are an afterthought to this young man.