The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 39 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan offered about a dozen quarterbacks in the 2021 class, but it didn't take long for La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy signal-caller J.J. McCar- thy to rise to the top of that posi- tion board. The 6-2, 180-pounder originally looked like he might end up at Ohio State, but ultimately picked the Wolverines during a visit over the weekend of May 10. Michi- gan's quarterback-friendly coach- ing staff made U-M an obvious choice for a talented field general like McCarthy. "With all the NFL ties Michigan has, especially quarterback-wise with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and Coach [Ben] McDaniels, it's really a no-brainer for me," McCarthy said. "When I hear 'Michigan,' I think of Tom Brady. "He's the greatest of all time and he's an alum … at my position, too." McCarthy is now the face of Michigan's 2021 class. He's com- mit No. 2, behind Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson offensive tackle Giovanni El-Hadi, but he is going to be the poster boy of the group be- cause of his position and because he could flirt with five-star status. Due to those facts, it's essential that he hit the ground running as a recruiter, and he intends to do just that. "It's really going to be a huge pri- ority for me, and I'm not just going to go after the kids that are super-tal- ented," McCarthy said. "I am going to go after the kids that fit Michigan and fit their environment. I am going to recruit not only the '21 class, but the 2020 and 2022 classes because those are going to be my teammates too. "I'm always going to be okay if they go to a different school, but once I say I am going to Michigan it is go- ing to be a little difficult to let some of my close buddies go anywhere else." One player McCarthy would love to bring with him to Ann Arbor is Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four-star rising senior all-purpose back AJ Henning. Michigan actually likes Henning as a slot receiver and nothing would make McCarthy hap- pier than having his friend and po- tential target waiting on him when he gets to campus. Henning, the No. 110 overall prospect nationally per Rivals, was with McCarthy during his May visit to Michigan and saw exactly how it looks when someone com- mits to Harbaugh and the Wolver- ines. Henning could do the same thing later on in 2019. It would be a while before the two played together in Ann Arbor since Mc- Carthy has two full years of high school left, but adding Henning to McCarthy could make U-M's future passing attack even more dangerous. As a sophomore, McCarthy was outstanding. He led his Nazareth Academy Roadrunners to a 13-1 record and captured a Class 7A (the second largest division in Il- linois) state championship. He fin- ished the season 182-of-240 pass- ing (75.8 percent) for 3,448 yards with 39 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Over the course of the season, McCarthy was named the Chicago Bears Player of the Week and the Country Companies Athlete of the Month. At the end of the season, he was recognized as a first-team member of EdgyTim.com's All- State squad and was also a Max- Preps All-American for the 2021 class. He also got it done in the class- room and was a member of the Illi- nois High School Coaches Academic All-State squad with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. — Brandon Brown J.J. McCarthy Gives Michigan Its 2021 Quarterback McCarthy threw for 3,448 yards and 39 touchdowns with just four interceptions as a sophomore while helping his team win the state championship in Illinois' second larg- est classification (Class 7A). PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FILM EVALUATION Strengths: J.J. McCarthy's biggest strength is his big, talented right arm. Despite being slight at about 180 pounds, he has a whip hanging off his shoulder and can really wing the ball more than 50 yards down the field pretty easily. He's also able to throw with a lot of zip and really can put it wherever he wants. Even though he will be billed as a strong-armed quarterback, his accuracy is what makes him elite. Areas Of Improvement: The need for a 6-5, 225-pound quarterback is slowly fading from college football, but McCarthy is pretty slight at 6-2, 180 pounds. He's just a sophomore, and looks to have plenty of room to add weight on his lanky frame, but he's not as big as some of the other highly touted quarterbacks in the 2021 class. If he's around 200 pounds by the time he gets to Ann Arbor, there won't be any cause for concern, but until he fills out, durability at the next level could be a little bit of a worry. Michigan Player Comparison: Michigan fans might not love this comparison, but McCarthy has some Tate Forcier (2009-10) in him. Obviously Forcier's career didn't end well at U-M and he played for maligned head coach Rich Rodriguez, but he was touted coming out of high school and had a lot of talent. Forcier was more of a runner than McCarthy is, but both are quite fleet of foot. McCarthy has a lot more arm talent, but the gunslinger mentality, ability to throw from multiple arm angles and while on the move are there in both play- ers. McCarthy also seems to be more stable between the ears, but the swagger and confidence that Forcier possessed is already noticeable in McCarthy as he prepares for his junior year. — Brandon Brown