Tag: JJ McCarthy

The first 2024 NFL mock draft from Mel Kiper Jr. has Bears taking Caleb Williams; J.J. McCarthy taken in the first round

Could J.J. McCarthy really go in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft? Mel Kiper Jr. thinks it’s possible.

Mel Kiper Jr. has officially entered 2024 NFL mock draft season.

With all but four of the picks set in the current NFL draft order, the longtime ESPN NFL draft expert has dropped his first mock of the year, and although he doesn’t project trades in this one, he’s got USC’s Caleb Williams going No. 1 overall and four QBs in the first round. In our latest mock from Christian D’Andrea, there are also four QBs off the board, but not Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy as Kiper has.

Kiper has the national champ going 16th to the Seattle Seahawks, who have Geno Smith under center, but perhaps the franchise wants to roll the dice on a future QB. Here’s Kiper’s take:

OK, here’s a spot for the next quarterback. While I don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy right now — a lot can change before Round 1 on April 25 — he does have first-round arm talent, along with the ability to beat defenses with his legs. He’s the type of quarterback teams will take a shot at in the middle of the first round, especially when you consider he just turned 21 a few days ago. He rarely turns the ball over — he threw 44 touchdown passes and had nine picks over the past two seasons — and can make every throw. McCarthy just wasn’t asked to beat teams with his arm for the Wolverines, because they so often dominated at the line of scrimmage. As of now, I’m betting on a team seeing his upside and trying to take him somewhere in the teens.

For Seattle, the contract Geno Smith signed last March made it clear the team could get out after one season. Smith had a decent season (20 TD passes, 9 INTs), but will he really be here long-term? I could see the Seahawks severing ties and starting fresh for whomever the new coach ends up being.

There you have it! Check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 1.0: What if they can’t say no to a WR?

What would the Minnesota Vikings do if Malik Nabers was available at 11th overall? The first of many 2024 NFL mock drafts explores that idea

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the first rendition, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers somehow falls to 11th overall and that could change the way the Vikings address their roster and draft picks.

Michigan QB JJ McCarthy declares for 2024 NFL draft, won’t face USC next season

This might make it easier for Jim Harbaugh to leave Michigan for the NFL, too.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will not play the USC Trojans when the Wolverines host the Men of Troy next September. In what will be USC’s first-ever Big Ten Conference football game, Michigan will have a new signal-caller.

As reported by Wolverines Wire, McCarthy is heading to the NFL draft:

“While it’s a sad day in some respects, McCarthy departs Michigan as the most accomplished quarterback of all time. While he doesn’t have any of the individual passing records, he has a 27-1 record as a starter — the third-best in college football history by winning percentage. He may not have been a team captain, but he was loved and followed by his team as if he were. He made timely throws, pro-level throws that we haven’t seen other Michigan quarterbacks make.”

Now we will wait to see if Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh goes to the NFL. McCarthy leaving might make it just a little easier for Harbaugh to pursue a Super Bowl now that he has a national championship.

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Ohio State’s rival quarterback, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy makes NFL decision

Is this what you expected? #GoBucks

It will alway be remembered that Ohio State football head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] chose [autotag]Kyle McCord[/autotag] over [autotag]JJ McCarthy[/autotag], for obvious reasons.

McCarthy ultimately chose to attend rival Michigan, and took it personal when he played the school that passed him up during his recruitment. He was on the sidelines for three victories over the Buckeyes, and this past season led the Wolverines to a College Football Playoff national championship.

A big decision loomed in front of him, as he still had one year of eligibility remaining, but has chosen to forgo that season and enter the NFL draft. Many Buckeyes would liked to have one more shot at knocking McCarthy down, but that will now have to be at the next level.

Although he isn’t viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects in this coming draft, he will still be selected after a very impressive collegiate career.

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Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy announces decision

How does his career as a pro go?

Michigan is fresh off a national championship which was won in part to quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

The veteran led Michigan to a national title after starting the last two years for them and losing just a single game along the way.  He’s also a guy that seemed to love Notre Dame during the recruiting process but never landed an offer from [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag].

Much speculation has been made about McCarthy’s future – if he’ll return to Michigan or if he’ll enter the NFL draft in a year that appears to be loaded at the quarterback position.

On Sunday he announced that he will forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2024 NFL draft.

Michigan running back Blake Corum also declared for the draft on Sunday.

Michigan has recruited the quarterback position well in recent years but it’s hard to see them starting a true freshman next year.  Are they about to dip into the portal for a season?

If so it makes you more than happy that Notre Dame was able to get ahead of things on that front this off-season.

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Jim Harbaugh threw out Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal rallying cry ‘bet’ after winning national title

Of course Jim Harbaugh said “bet” after Michigan won the title.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh couldn’t enjoy his team’s national championship win without going back to the rallying cry that partially got them there.

After Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy lobbied all of Michigan world to say “bet” to the suspension being a roadblock en route to a national title.

Well, McCarthy’s slogan clearly helped, as No.1 Michigan took down No. 2 Washington in Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game.

Harbaugh took hold of “bet” after returning to the field, and he threw it out in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

Well, did you really expect to watch Michigan win a national title game after all the sign-stealing drama without “bet” playing a part in the festivities?

Harbaugh clearly knew when to throw that word out, and it’s clear that this team bet on itself after all the controversy and won big time.

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Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Notre Dame dropped recruiting ball on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy

Would probably like to have this one back…

It has been said that one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.

Perhaps that is the perfect way to describe Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy who was a Notre Dame recruit roughly a half-decade ago.

McCarthy originally played his high school football at Nazareth Academy in the Chicago suburbs (same school as Notre Dame great Julian Love) before spending his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida. He was right in Notre Dame’s back yard and seemed to love the school.

McCarthy made several reported trips to Notre Dame during his high school career as a recruit but never received a scholarship offer. Instead, Brian Kelly and Tommy Rees put their quarterback recruiting chips in the basket of Tyler Buchner in the 2021 class.

McCarthy wound up at Michigan and has his team playing for a national championship. He very well could enter the NFL draft and make a handsome amount of professional money.

If you can stomach it Notre Dame fans, below are a few quotes from McCarthy himself about the excitement of being pitched by Notre Dame back in the day and what might have been.

Fans loved hearing Alabama’s Tyler Booker show incredible sportsmanship in postgame exchange with J.J. McCarthy

The perfect example of sportsmanship.

When Nick Saban-coached Alabama teams have a chance to compete for a national title, they rarely fall short. So, Monday’s overtime Rose Bowl loss to Michigan had to be a shocking disappointment for many of the Crimson Tide players.

But you won’t find any player handle the defeat better than Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker.

Immediately after the game, Booker caught up with his former high school teammate at IMG Academy and current Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and had an unbelievably classy message for McCarthy as the team heads to Houston for the College Football Playoff national title game.

Booker could be heard telling McCarthy:

“I love you, baby. Go finish the job. I’m so happy for you, bro. I’m so happy for you, bro. I love you, bro. Hey, go finish the job.”

That’s what sportsmanship is all about right there. College football fans also enjoyed the exchange.

J.J. McCarthy comforted Zak Zinter’s parents after the Michigan lineman’s brutal injury

Zak Zinter was carted off the field at Michigan Stadium with an injury.

Saturday during No. 3 Michigan’s home game against No. 2 Ohio State, Wolverines offensive lineman Zak Zinter went down with what looked like a brutal injury in the third quarter.

It appeared to be so bad that Fox Sports erred on the side of caution and didn’t show the replay — often an underused move by broadcasters — as Zinter was attended to by the medical staff. Michigan’s entire team and coaching staff solemnly watched the lineman then get carted off the field after the scary injury while “Let’s go Zak” chants reportedly rang through the Big House.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy comforted Zinter’s parents on the field and hugged them in what was surely an incredibly difficult moment for the family of the injured player.

The Wolverines quickly scored after the game resumed, and in celebration, Michigan running back Blake Corum flashed Zinter’s No. 65 at the camera.

Fox Sports reported Zinter left Michigan Stadium and went to the hospital for further evaluation.

Update: Per Zinter’s family via The Athletic’s Austin Meek, the lineman broke both multiple bones in his leg, requiring surgery.

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Report Card: Grading Penn State’s performance against Michigan

How does Penn State football grade out against Michigan…not so well at all

It was a tough day for James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Michigan Wolverines. Saturday’s 24-15 loss marked another defeat to a top-10 opponent and to Michigan. With Penn State sitting at 8-2 with two games to play, their hopes for a Big Ten title game berth are all but lost.

As they have all season, the defense played a respectable performance against one of the top offenses in the nation. It was not enough, however, as the offense sputtered after a promising first quarter and could never get quarterback Drew Allar into a rhythm.

It was not a happy afternoon in Happy Valley, and this week’s postgame report card reflects it.