The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508023
OCTOBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 17 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS I hate to compare, but he's very much like Andrew Luck. A quarterback that's once in a generation. I knew it first with Andrew Luck. Just the way he took the field for his first practice as a true freshman. It's just the way he walks on. You see it with other players. Just the presence that they have when they walk onto the field and then, the first time getting into the quarterback position, the presence that they have. You go, 'Ah-ha, there it is.' "J.J., first day he walked onto the practice field here at Michigan, that's what came to mind. This is very Andrew Luck-like. The presence and the demeanor. The every- thing. I think J.J. is a once-in-a-generation quarterback here at Michigan or anywhere." — Head coach Jim Harbaugh, comparing junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy to former Stanford and Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Andrew Luck 94.4 Overall Pro Football Focus grade for junior quar- terback J.J. McCarthy after Week 2, leading the FBS among those with 5 or more pass attempts. In the first two games, McCarthy posted a 95.0 PFF passing rating (second) and was tied for 18th with 5 "big-time throws," a "pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window." That's what this team is … they're Jim. They embody him. Hard working, blue col- lar, consistent — they play with no fear. They know he has their back, and they have his back. That's what you feel when you come in here." — Linebackers coach Chris Partridge on the 2023 Wolverines The player leadership is incredible. Everyone uses the term 'culture' — and I think it's overused sometimes — but I think the ownership of the players has grown since I was playing. And not to say that we didn't have good leaders or good coaches and stuff like that, but the players have gone to another level of taking ownership that it's all of our team. It's Coach Harbaugh's program, but at the end of the day they're the ones that have to be out there on the field, they're the ones that have to drive the ship. They've taken ownership of it. We've got an incredible group of seniors, juniors, all the way down in terms of leaders." — Tight ends coach Grant Newsome on the differences with the U-M program from when he was a player (2015-17) to now PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL J.J. McCarthy, well … it's really ridiculous. I mean, the guy has, what, 85 percent completion rate? How do you do that? I had quarterbacks in the NFL, and we couldn't do that against air with no defense. The guy is off to a great start. They're doing a great job of coaching him." — Analyst Dave Wannstedt on 'Big Ten Today'