The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2020 MICHIGAN RECRUITING J.J. MCCARTHY WORKING HARD FOR MICHIGAN Rivals100 Michigan quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy is the unques- tioned leader of U-M's 2021 recruit- ing class and is doing whatever it takes for the Wolverines to put to- gether a special class. The nation's No. 5 pro-style quar- terback and No. 31 overall prospect in his cycle is constantly communi- cating with the Michigan staff about its recruiting board and getting on the horn with prospects the Wolver- ines truly covet. Here is what McCarthy had to say about his efforts with some of the Wolverines' top offensive targets: On Rivals100 offensive lineman Rocco Spindler of Clarkston (Mich.) High: "Like I've said, he straight up knows where home is. He knows which school loves him the most and which school he feels the most comfortable at. I respect him going to other schools. That's what you're supposed to do in the recruiting pro- cess. But I'm thrilled about his excite- ment for Michigan, and I'm excited to see when he makes that decision." On Rivals100 running back Dono- van Edwards of West Bloomfield (Mich.) High: "That's my boy. His home is Michigan. His boys are at Michigan. He's going to see other schools, but he knows exactly where home is." On Rivals100 tight end Thomas Fidone of Council Bluffs (Iowa) Lewis Central: "Oh man, I text him every day. I Snapchat him every day; I talk to him all the time. He wants the same things I want. He wants to win championships. He wants to go first round. He wants to have the best education. Michigan seems like the best fit for him." On Rivals250 offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger of Clarkston (Mich.) High: "I love him. I love his personality. I love what he stands for. He's a hard worker. He's in the home state of Michigan. I hope he makes the right choice and stays home." On four-star wide receiver Dekel Crowdus of Lexington (Ky.) Freder- ick Douglass: "I talk to him a lot. He says he loves Michigan. He says he loves everything Coach [Josh] Gattis is doing. I'm high on him." On elite 2022 wide receivers Ty- ler Morris and Kaleb Brown of La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth (McCar- thy's high school) and Chicago St. Rita, respectively: "They love that Michigan is only three hours away and that their families can watch them play. They love the education. The first time Tyler shadowed me, he was in eighth grade. We just clicked. We have a connection on and off the field. It's something he doesn't want to leave behind. I feel good about him coming to Michigan. Kaleb is a goofball. He loves Michigan." ❑ U-M quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy is one of the most talented prospects in the 2021 class, evidenced by his No. 31 overall national ranking by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Chicago-area quarterback coach Greg Holcomb, works with Rivals100 Michigan quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy on a weekly basis. Here is what he had to say about McCarthy, his biggest strengths, what he's working on this offseason and more: On McCarthy's biggest strengths: "They change each year, I feel like. When I first met him in the summer going from seventh to eighth grade, he showed signs of being a really good passer. You could tell at that age. He's developed into a really good passer. Mechanically, he is extremely fun- damentally sound. "But where he's evolved is his ability to see the field and make plays. He's one of those guys that can go through his progressions pretty easily and not turn the ball over. That's evidenced by not very many interceptions. He makes plays. He's a chain-moving, play-making guy. He's going to give you positive yards consistently, and that results in points on the board and wins for your program." On McCarthy's demeanor and willingness to learn: "Un- believable. He's arguably the top quarterback in the class. He's certainly ranked in the top five to 10. He has some abil- ity to consistently keep learning. He's not one of those guys that because he's ranked high, he feels like he's reached his peak or anything like that. He's constantly asking questions. "He's extremely cerebral. He's hard working. His character is top notch. He's one of those guys you wish everyone was like because he's consistently trying to make himself better. It's easy to coach guys like that because they want it more than the average kid." On what McCarthy is working on this offseason: "It's funny. Guys can get a little sloppy with their mechanics. We were working play-action under center, and there were a cou- ple of things he wasn't doing to make it a better play-action. "There are always little things he can learn and do. I don't care how high level you are, even the top guys playing the game on Sundays are always learning. We just try to focus on the technical things more than anything. I don't get into X's and O's — that's more so for his high school program. But I'm working with him to be as smooth and as polished fundamentally as he can be." On McCarthy's fit at Michigan: "I see him fitting in there really well right away. I know they have some talented guys there already. But he looks like one of those guys that can step in and push for the job right away. I have high expecta- tions for him. I think he has those for himself as well. I think he's walking into a situation where he can play early. As long as he continues to do the things that he does, I think he's going to have the opportunity to do that without missing a beat." — EJ Holland TRAINER'S TAKE: MICHIGAN QB COMMIT J.J. MCCARTHY