Michigan Football 2021 Signee: JJ McCarthy
JJ McCarthy
Position: Pro-style Quarterback
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 190
Hometown: La Grange Park, Ill.
High School: IMG Academy
Other Notable Offers: LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Penn State, Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma State, Miami and Iowa
NFL Comp: Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers — I see a lot of similarities between Bridgewater and McCarthy. Coming out of high school Bridgewater was listed at 6-3, 185 pounds, and now tips the scales at 215. McCarthy has really started to develop physically and should continue to do so until he hits that 210-220-pound range. Neither are hulking, big-bodied guys, but they obviously have enough size to play the position at a high level. Both quarterbacks are extremely accurate and have strong arms, but wouldn't be described as having rocket arms. McCarthy throws it a little bit better on the run than Bridgewater did coming out of high school, but Bridgewater was definitely comfortable throwing on the move. Neither guys are run-first quarterbacks but both are good enough athletes to run zone read, turn a broken play into a first down and keep defenses honest.
2021 Outlook: The scouting report on McCarthy is enough for many within the Michigan fanbase to view him as a first-year starter. While McCarthy is listed as a pro-style quarterback, he has the ability to escape the pocket and is deadly accurate on the run. However, McCarthy will also enter a quarterback room that already contains Joe Milton, Cade McNamara, and Dan Villari. Even so, the Wolverines were never quite able to nail down a QB1 during the 2020 season, and McCarthy will certainly have a legitimate shot to make his case during spring and fall camp.