Tag: J.J. McCarthy

4 Michigan football 2021 commits make SI99 rankings

The Wolverines have an impressive group that made Sports Illustrated’s illustrious high school senior football ranking.

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Jim Harbaugh & Co. have done a masterful job of putting together the 2021 recruiting class.

Though Michigan football had just two commitments for nearly a year, now the class is ranked No. 10 with 21 pledges, highlighted by five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy as well as a cadre of top-notch wide receivers.

And though the Wolverines aren’t done yet — as prospects such as West Bloomfield (MI) four-star Donovan Edwards are still deciding — the maize and blue find themselves not only with some of the top players in the country according to the recruiting services, but also with many making a coveted list.

Sports Illustrated put out the SI99, as in the 99 best high school seniors heading into the 2020 season. While many won’t get the opportunity to actually suit up due to different states not having high school football this fall, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t among the elite in the country.

That said, Michigan had four commits make the list, unsurprisingly headlined by its five-star signal caller.

  • No. 24 – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy QB J.J. McCarthy
  • No. 58 – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro DE Quintin Somerville
  • No. 67 – Fresno (CA) Central West WR Xavier Worthy
  • No. 99 – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei WR Cristian Dixon

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McCarthy at 24 is expected, but given that Somerville, Dixon and Worthy are all outside of the Top 100 in the 247Sports Composite, it shows how other analysts anticipate big things out of the various Michigan commitments. Worthy and Dixon are particularly tantalizing, as they’ll add a lot of speed to Josh Gattis’ offense, and could become unparalleled breakout players wearing the maize and blue.

While it’s a nice haul, rival Ohio State — which currently has the top-rated class in the country — has 10 commits who made the SI99 rankings.

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ESPN breaks down J.J. McCarthy’s game after Elite 11 performance

The Worldwide Leader breaks down the Wolverines commit’s game after he participated in the national QB showcase.

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If there’s one thing that 2021 Michigan five-star quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy is it’s consistent.

The prized pledge of the recruiting class got a chance to prove that weeks ago in Nashville as one of the participants in the much ballyhooed Elite 11 event, a quarterback competition led by former NFL QB Trent Dilfer.

While the MVP of the three-day event went to fellow five-star Caleb Williams — who recently committed to Oklahoma — McCarthy proved himself worthy as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, thus making the final list of 11 signal callers. ESPN’s Tom Luginbill and Tom VanHaaren took in the Elite 11 and further broke down what they see out of the future Wolverines quarterback.

J.J. McCarthy
6-foot-2, 190 pounds
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
ESPN 300 rank: 24

Commitment: Michigan Wolverines

McCarthy is exactly what Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis wants in his offense: a quarterback who can extend plays and is an accurate thrower. The quarterback position is one area Michigan has been lacking and a big piece of its offense that has been missing.

McCarthy could be that missing piece for the Wolverines’ future offense. Michigan has junior Dylan McCaffrey, sophomore Joe Milton, redshirt freshman Cade McNamara and 2020 signee Dan Villari on the roster right now, but the starting job is technically open.

It’s very likely McCaffrey or Milton takes that job in 2020. Both have experience, but neither has separated himself as the clear-cut starter. Having more options at quarterback is only a good thing, and McCaffrey coming in with competition will only help make him better and prepare him for later in his career.

Luginbill’s scouting report: McCarthy has good poise, good feet and good vision. He might not have an elite arm, but he throws a catchable ball with his high over-the-top release. He has a strong ability to navigate the pocket and keep plays alive.

Player comparison: Tanner Morgan

For now, Michigan football fans will have to wait to see McCarthy in action — at least while wearing the maize and blue. The IMG Academy presumptive starter won’t arrive on campus until 2021, and will have to battle it out to see the field with potentially 2-4 experienced quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart.

However, we’ve seen true freshmen supplant wily veterans recently. For instance, in 2017 (ultimately in his sophomore season in 2018) at Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa wrested the starting job away from incumbent Jalen Hurts, who then transferred to Oklahoma in 2019 as a result. Likewise, in 2018, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, the former No. 1 recruit in the country, didn’t waste much time supplanting Kelly Bryant in the middle of the season, which ended up seeing Bryant take his talents to Mizzou.

Could McCarthy do the same in Ann Arbor? It depends heavily on how this fall’s quarterback competition goes between Joe Milton, Dylan McCaffrey and Cade McNamara.

J.J. McCarthy rebounds on final day of Elite 11

How the Wolverines commit did in the final two days of the elite quarterback competition.

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On Monday, Michigan’s premier 2021 commit in five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy put on a show at the yearly Elite 11 event, hosted this year in Nashville in lieu of the standard California.

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He returned to action on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, drawing accolades from those in attendance, thus proving that the Wolverines got a good one in the eventual mid-year enrollee.

WolverinesWire compiled some of the reactions and videos, so you can see first-hand what the future maize and blue signal caller looked like at the national competition.

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Day Two

The second day of the Elite 11 was held as something of a ‘Pro Day,’ similar to what one would see at the college level when departing players would showcase their abilities for NFL coaches, general managers and scouts.

It was postponed somewhat on Tuesday to the evening due to inclement weather in the Nashville area, however, once it got going, McCarthy volunteered to go first, thus setting the bar while the other quarterbacks in attendance got to see what they were getting into.

While his day wasn’t perfect, he still looked mostly sharp. Impressive, again, given that he was the first quarterback to partake in the drills.

If he started okay-to-strong, he certainly ended on a high note, throwing an absolute bullet on his final pass of the game.

If there’s one thing that can be said about the future Wolverine, it’s that he can make all of the throws there are to make.

Here’s an alternate angle:

In a conversation with 247Sports’ Allen Trieu for The Detroit News, The Michigan Insider’s Josh Newkirk shared his thoughts on what he’d seen from McCarthy in the first two days of the Nashville event:

“I’ve seen him, I think this is the third or fourth time in person,” Newkirk said, “and the No. 1 thing I see is he’s consistent, whether that’s a high school game, 7-on-7 or in a camp setting. That was evident again last evening. It is elite competition, the top quarterbacks in the country, and he didn’t look like he got invited because he’s committed to Michigan. He belongs here. I’m not going to say he will win it, but he’s among the elite.”

While he finished at No. 7 after day one, despite some accolades on the second day, with just 34 points out of a possible 60, McCarthy finished day two at No. 9 in the official rankings.

However, given the eye test and using his own rankings, Rivals.com’s Woody Womack had McCarthy as his third-best quarterback on day two, behind Ohio State commit Kyle McCord and Florida commit Carlos Del Rio.

3. J.J. McCarthy (Michigan commit) — McCarthy led off the night and gets credit for stepping up and going early. One thing he’s really improved and showed off on Tuesday is his ability to throw on the move. During one throw he bumped into the coach simulating the pass rush and despite being off balance he delivered a throw down the field and right on the money. McCarthy finished ninth in the official scoring.

But there would be another day for McCarthy to rebound and ensure he made the coveted top ten.

Day Three/Final Ranking

Wednesday signaled the culmination of the event, where the 20 quarterbacks duked it out to make the top 10 of the Elite 11, and they did so in the target challenge — which is what it sounds like.

Rivals.com’s EJ Holland — who has done the best of anyone covering McCarthy in the event — captured his first four throws of the day.

He performed a bit better going last rather than first, coming in ranked No. 6 for day three’s challenges.

According to Sports Illustrated, that’s the perfect place for McCarthy, as they used advanced metrics to determine accuracy in the final day’s challenge.

6. J.J. McCarthy, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Grade: 1.90

Total throws: 22

Threes: 5

Twos: 11

Ones: 6

Time: 2:50.22

SI continued to be high on McCarthy overall, as they had him No. 2 overall over the course of the three-day competition.

2. J.J. McCarthy – Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Composite Score: 4.0

Day 1 Rank: 4

Day 2 Rank: 2

Day 3 Rank: 6

Entering the camp, McCarthy was one of the few quarterbacks who could make all of the throws on tape. He proved that in a camp setting every day at Elite 11, looking comfortable throwing to all three levels of the field and never finishing below sixth place out of 20 in Sports Illustrated All-American‘s daily rankings. McCarthy finished fifth in Elite 11’s accuracy gauntlet scores and sixth by our scores in the same drill, displaying great accuracy with 16 on-target throws on 22 attempts. He carried swagger throughout the week and never seemed to lose his step.

He spoke with Holland after the event as he awaited to hear if he’s squarely one of the Elite 11, saying that he could have done better, but that he’s still pleased with his performance.

McCarthy entered the final day of the competition ranked No. 9 overall but should move up based on today’s performance.

Still, McCarthy was his own biggest critic following the event.

“I don’t think I performed the best that I could and what my potential is,” McCarthy said. “But I learned a lot. In order to succeed, you have to fail sometimes. It’s all about putting the pads on. It’s always great throwing in shorts and a t-shirt. When you look at Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and all those guys, they didn’t even make it here. It’s just the mentality of moving forward, getting past this and focusing on the next step.”

McCarthy might not have been the alpha dog/MVP — that distinction went to uncommitted five-star dual-threat Caleb Williams. But he did enough to still warrant being in the top group.

247Sports’ recruiting experts weighed in with their thoughts, putting McCarthy in at No. 7, noting his consistency in the three-day event.

7. J.J. MCCARTHY, MICHIGAN COMMIT

J.J. McCarthy was flat out solid all three days. The Illinois native, who will play his senior season at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, was consistent and precise on both Monday and Tuesday showcasing some high-level throws. Wednesday, he finished near the top of the pack. The ball doesn’t exactly pop out of McCarthy’s arms, but the future Michigan quarterback has the tools and makeup of someone that can Power 5 level. He’s ranked as No. 2 pro-style quarterback this cycle.

For now, we wait to hear where McCarthy comes in via the final rankings, which are due out some time Wednesday evening. WolverinesWire will update this space with his final ranking once it has been released.

What they’re saying: Michigan commit J.J. McCarthy’s first day in Elite 11 Finals

How the Wolverines commit fared on the first day of the national quarterback competition.

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Though traditional sports are still on hold, there’s still some semblance of football happening at the moment.

Yes, the Wolverines are currently engaged in voluntary workouts, but there’s an actual competition currently underway — the Elite 11 Finals.

Branded ‘the nation’s premier quarterback competition,’ the Elite 11 brings together the best of the best, in a three-day event, featuring various drills, eventually crowning the eleven best signal callers in the country for that particular recruiting class.

While Michigan doesn’t always have a representative every given year, in the 2021 class iteration, naturally, long-time commit, five-star J.J. McCarthy was not only an invitee, but he’s showing out early.

247Sports spoke to Trent Dilfer, who is the ‘head coach’ of the Elite 11 Finals, and while he had more to say about some other quarterbacks in the competition — namely five-star Caleb Williams — McCarthy certainly made a mark on day one in Nashville.

The five-star Michigan commit is the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 14 prospect overall in the 247Sports Composite.

“J.J. is really good,” Dilfer said. “The kid is charismatic, he’s competitive, he has juice, I was really impressed with J.J.”

Sports Illustrated also weighed in, going as far as ranking the competitors. While the aforementioned Williams took the top spot and Oregon commit Ty Thompson got the second, McCarthy showed well enough to be ranked third.

3. J.J. McCarthy – Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

The Michigan commitment’s quick release combined with the pop off his right hand resonated as others’ began to wear down. He remained strong in his overall performance throughout, and he did not struggle at any level of the field.

Additionally, The Michigan Insider’s Josh Newkirk posted highlights of McCarthy’s first day in Murfreesboro, which you can check out below.

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Michigan commit transfers to IMG Academy

The Wolverines prized QB commit is heading to the most prominent high school football program in the country.

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Michigan’s last starting quarterback was under center at the prestigious Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy — how long will it be before yet another Ascenders QB wears the winged helmet?

Well, by the looks of it, next year.

The boarding school in Western Florida continually produces many of the top college football players in the country. It’s a bona fide all-star team, with lower ranked players going there with hopes to get eyes on them, while those who are already five-stars get to play against elite competition.

One such five-star, now, is a Michigan commitment, as longtime pledge J.J. McCarthy announced he’ll be finishing out his high school career in Bradenton.

This could have excellent implications for the Wolverines, given McCarthy’s penchant for recruiting. He’ll be joining forces with fellow Michigan commit Greg Crippen, a guard/center for the Ascenders. But recent decommit Myles Rowser — the 2022 former pledge and brother of Michigan CB Andre Seldon — recently transferred to IMG Academy as well.

Of course there’s other big time players on campus there as well. Michigan has seemingly cooled in its pursuit of five-star offensive lineman JC Latham, a Wisconsin native who seems to be favoring Ohio State, Alabama and LSU. Could a tandem of McCarthy and Crippen help convince him otherwise?

Regardless, it’ll be a good situation, having Michigan’s most prominent commitment in the 2021 class playing for the most visible high school football program in the country.

McCarthy joins IMG Academy after having spent his first three years at Nazareth Academy in Illinois.

Michigan commits, signees make push for Donovan Edwards

With one major target off the board at RB in 2021, several prospective Wolverines took to Twitter to thy and lure a 4-star in-state tailback

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When Hopewell (VA) five-star RB TreVeyon Henderson committed to Ohio State without having ever visited Columbus, nearly all of Michigan’s hopes at tailback suddenly rest on an in-state talent in West Bloomfield (MI) four-star Donovan Edwards.

It seemed as if the Wolverines were trailing for the star player in Oakland County, with the Buckeyes, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma all in full-pursuit. However, reports indicate that Michigan has made a big push, including one from The Wolverine’s EJ Holland, who published a story on Friday about the maize and blue pursuit of Edwards.

Many of those already committed or even signed to Michigan took that as an opportunity to let Edwards know just how much he’s wanted in Ann Arbor, including commits J.J. McCarthy and Giovanni El-Hadi as well as signees Zak Zinter, AJ Henning, Kalel Mullings and Braiden McGregor.

Check out their pitches to Edwards below:

 

 

 

Michigan 2021 commit balling out in 7-on-7 play

Rain and wind aren’t stopping the 2021 Wolverines QB commit, according to these videos taken by Rivals’ Michigan recruiting writer.

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The weather does not seem to be cooperating in Las Vegas, where some of the nation’s top recruits in the 2021-23 classes have gathered to partake in the big Pylon 7-on-7 tournament.

Leading the charge for a team based out of Illinois, Michigan five-star quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy is showing off just why he’s so highly-rated.

While it’s windy and rainy, and some players, such as McCarthy, are wearing appropriate gear to battle the elements, that isn’t slowing down the LaGrange (IL) Nazareth Academy signal caller. In fact, he’s thriving amidst a monsoon.

Of course, in 7-on-7 play, there is no running game, so those who can sling the ball have to do their best, and it looks as if McCarthy is making the best of his opportunity.

EJ Holland, recruiting writer for Rivals’ Michigan site The Wolverine, is also enduring the weather, and has captured several incredible passes made by the 2021 commit.

Watch below:

 

 

Michigan 2021 5-star QB commit shows off impressive arm with gutsy throw

The Wolverines 5-star commit made one of the most impressive throws you’ll see this weekend.

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There’s a reason why 2021 LaGrange Park (IL) Nazareth Academy quarterback J.J. McCarthy is rated as a five-star in the 247Sports Composite.

At No. 16 overall, regardless of position, the Michigan football commit has everything that a college program is looking for at the position. He’s 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, has a cannon for an arm, but he also has moxie and accuracy.

That’s not even counting the fact that he’s been an active recruiter for the class.

McCarthy is proving in front of our very eyes why he’s so coveted, with offers from schools such as LSU, Ohio State and Penn State. This weekend, he took to the field in the Pylon 7-on-7 tournament, and showcased precisely how tight of a window he can fit a throw into.

With The Wolverine’s EJ Holland in attendance, McCarthy made an impressive throw into double coverage, splitting both defensive backs in the narrowest of gaps, hitting his receiver for a touchdown.

Watch this, Michigan fans, and get excited for the future.