The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 43 FOOTBALL RECRUITING McCarthy sets a goal each morning and makes sure his mind can out- tough his body. A choice one Tuesday was a three-minute dead hang. If he let his body win, McCarthy would make himself start over until he hung there for exactly 180 seconds. "His work ethic makes him differ- ent," said elite 2022 wide receiver Tyler Morris, who played with Mc- Carthy at Nazareth and on Midwest Boom. "He's always the dude trying to get extra work in. He never skips a rep. He's always picking the team up and picking his teammates up. "He's always making sure that he is making himself the best he can be." "J.J. is going to give you 100 per- cent all the time," former team- mate and 2021 Syracuse flex end commit Landon Morris added. "If he's not satisfied, he's going to work until he reaches the top no matter what. His work ethic is unbelievable. "If he keeps working, he'll be something special in college." McCarthy, however, never brags about his own work ethic. He gets vocal when he needs to, but — for the most part — he leads by example. And it's clear he earned his teammates' respect during his time at Nazareth Academy. "He's a great leader," 2021 three- star lineman Ryan Keeler said. "He acts like he's just a normal kid. You wouldn't be able to tell that he has almost 40 Division I offers. He's the hardest worker you'll ever meet. He has a 4.0 GPA. He's the total package." Despite throwing for 2,820 yards and 34 touchdowns last year, Mc- Carthy is more motivated than ever. After leading Nazareth to a state championship as a sophomore, Mc- Carthy and his team fell short last season. The quarterback heard "over- rated" chants from opposing student sections all year long and was limited to just 8-of-25 passing for 116 yards with a touchdown in the title-game loss to Mount Carmel. Weather played a role in McCar- thy's less-than-stellar stat line, but he won't use that as an excuse. The championship performance comes up on social media every now and then when discussing rankings. While Mc- Carthy won't admit it, it's easy to see his internal fire grows brighter every time someone doubts him. During a late-night training session with Holcomb, McCarthy was told he needed to work on his play-action moves. He dropped to the ground and did 50 push-ups. When he felt a throw wasn't good enough, he dropped down and did 50 more. "All he wants to do is win," Jim McCarthy said. "I've never seen a kid that enjoys motivational speak- ing on the radio more than music. He picked me up the other day, and we're listening to Mamba Mentality and all these motivational guys. This is what drives him." During February's Pylon seven-on- seven Chicago tournament, Brandon Campbell a four-star 2021 running back from Texas, noted at one point while watching from the sidelines: "That quarterback's arm is strong as [expletive]. Man, you can tell he's different. It's crazy." McCarthy has all the tools to be Michigan's solution at quarterback. During his tenure, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to recruit a field general that has been able to overcome the Ohio State speed bump and take Michigan back to the Promised Land. McCarthy has been referred to as 'The Chosen One" and drawn com- parisons to former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel — though he is the polar opposite of the former Texas A&M star when it comes to off- the-field behavior. "His athleticism is off the charts," Racki said. "He can make something out of nothing. He makes it crazy for people to plan for. You can have everyone covered, but his mobility allows him to break the pocket and make a play. It's amazing. His deci- sion making is key, too." Rivals' No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the country, and a consensus top-33 recruit regardless of position in the class, McCarthy has eye-popping arm talent, an extremely high football IQ, elite escapability, perfect ball place- ment and just about everything else a coach would want at the most impor- tant position. But on top of all that, he is a tremendous leader and will be the hardest-working guy on the team. Simply put, McCarthy is everything you want at the quarterback position. But he knows he can't do it alone. Just like he does with everything else in his life, McCarthy is working extremely hard on the recruiting trail. He is literally doing everything he can to ensure more top talent joins him in Ann Arbor. "He's been pushing me to go there since before he committed," said the aforementioned Morris, who is al- ready ranked as a four-star prospect. "He's telling me to commit every week. I don't think he's going to let up any time soon." M c C a r t h y a n d M i d w e s t Boom fell to Houston-based Fast 7v7 in the semifinals of the February event in Chicago. While the quarterback was vis- ibly upset after throwing an in- terception in the game's final minute, he put in a call to Mich- igan assistant Sherrone Moore. McCarthy told him about Fast 7v7 defensive back Bryce Anderson, a four-star 2022 LSU commit that pa- trolled the secondary and helped his team overcome some "wow" throws from McCarthy. Minutes later, An- derson tweeted out a Michigan offer. It is clear McCarthy is the face of Michigan recruiting right now, and he could easily turn into the face of Michigan football for years to come. As generational recording artist Kanye West once said, "Name one genius that ain't crazy." McCarthy is a genius when it comes to football, and his relentless work ethic will continue to separate him from the pack. So if hard work truly does pay off, then McCarthy may very well be the chosen one that Michigan fans have been longing for. "J.J. has that identity that blends right into Michigan football," Racki said. "It's obvious that Coach Har- baugh and Coach [Ben] McDaniels see the potential for him to come in and compete right away. They see what they can do with his game be- cause he's so versatile. J.J. is going to help Michigan big time. "He's humble. He's modest. He gets the team concept of football. He knows leadership. He's the whole package." ❑ Former teammate and Syracuse commit Landon Morris on McCarthy "J.J. is going to give you 100 percent all the time. If he's not satisfied, he's going to work until he reaches the top no mat- ter what. His work ethic is unbelievable. If he keeps working, he'll be something special in college."